Motherese
Rent from DeepDyve- Motherese
When the skinny girl streaksBy—I long to beHer—maybe thirteenA blue carousel tattooedAround her left thighJust below her cutoff jeansNot a younger version of meThis one sliding fearlesslyDownslope on a skateboardFollow meShe yells at the hidden side of a treeTo another girl I cannot seeThe shy one who would have been me
And I become the mother of a braveDaughter who glides with utter joy occupyingAn entire college campus late July—A rhythm to her giant glasses ponytail and legsNegotiating each crack in the pavement
We weave in and out of shade — ninetyDegrees—My mind racing ahead of her lifeHer risk a form of disobedienceA necessary chemistry a deviationFrom the norm—deliciousHer risk almost holyNothing gambled but her body [End Page 29]
Her voice still sings to meAs I enter the pine-paneled libraryExact same beat—exaggerated speech melodyOf Motherese—baby talk—Will you be all rightShe croons to the girl left behind—None of us can completely escapeOur female hormones our DNAWe care for each other this wayIn cadence—In layersAre you sure you’ll be okay? [End Page 30]
Sandra Alcosser’s A Fish to Feed All Hunger and Except by Nature both received numerous awards and honors including awp, the National Poetry Series, and the James Laughlin award from the Academy of American Poets. Montana’s first poet laureate, she directs the mfa for sdsu and edits Poetry International.
