He taught me how to ride a bike
And how to drive a car
To always sauté spinach
But eat tomatoes how they are
How to tell a Monarch
From a Tiger Swallowtail
To always pick out postcards
And put them in the mail
How to float out in the ocean
And paddle a canoe
I hope I can do half as well
When I am teaching you
It’s time to shop for seeds to start
In little fuzzy squares
Time to sift through sock drawers
Sort those lone socks into pairs
Time to check your smoke alarms
And see if they’re expired
Time to sit down on the couch
And let yourself be tired
Time to work and rest and write
And map out who you’ll be
Choose how you will live your life
In twenty-twenty-three
I gave myself
Permission to write
Twenty minutes
Morning or night
Instead of resolutions this year
What permission do you need to hear?
Sarah flings her spoon
And sweet potatoes on the floor
But I have a younger brother
And I’ve seen this game before
My husband washes off the spoon
Gives it back, and then
I watch in mock surprise
As that spoon hits the floor again
Emily Adkins Bostian 