Saturday, March 16, 2024

1146. Half a Double Sonnet - Mary Jo Salter


For Ben


Their ordeal over, now the only trouble

was conveying somehow to a boy of three

that for a week or two he’d be seeing double.

Surely he wouldn’t recall the surgery

years later, but what about the psychic scars?

And so, when the patch come off, they bought the toy

he’d wanted most. He held it high “Two Cars!”

he cried; and drove himself from joy to joy.

Two baby sisters… One was enough of Clare,

but who could complain—conderring that another

woman had stepped forward to take care

of the girls, which left him all alone with Mother.

Victory! Even when he went to pee,

he was seconded in his virility.

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