Beano’s Sonnet for His Mom

 

       She could drive me nuts with the galoshes,

       Scarves, hats, damn mittens no other kids needed.

       Beano, have you got your milk money?

       Beano, why are there no underpants (with your

       Name stitched on the waistbands) in the laundry?

       Beano, why can’t you be more like your brothers?

       Beano, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

 

       And vice versa, my mom, since we could surely

       Jump each other through the hoops

       For the shared dance in the leaping through,

       You who loved ruffling my hair, you who

       Sat with me sick and read me to sleep

       And loved me and my wife and our kids

       Deeper than the ocean blue of your eyes.