Then and Now

Hey... long time, no write.

I managed a poem in class yesterday during our fast write time. Here is the picture that prompted the poem:

It's me and my brother in Georgia in 1987.

And here is the poem, tentatively called "Then and Now"

Then I was 14
And in love with being misunderstood
I would sit for hours
In my room
Listening to sad pop songs
Mooning over a boy
Conjugating French verbs
Doodling on my shoes
Wearing safety pins on my knees.

Now I am 33
And in love with my children.
I sit for minutes
During naptime
Pondering their presents and futures
Listening to not-so-gentle snores and off-key singing
Washing dishes
Making dinner
Doodling on school handouts while on hold
Wearing drool-stained sweaters.

Then I hated family
And all things relative, I was
Counting the minutes until I could leave to be with my friends,
Playing the piano under protest
Sneaking dessert after dinner.

Now I dislike some family
And a few things relative; I
Count the minutes until bedtime when I can leave off the mommy-mantle
Play Candyland more than once only under protest
Sneak dessert after dinner.

Then I had no idea
Of my mother’s limited time
Of my father’s limited words
Of my brother’s unlimited genius.

Now I have vague ideas
Of my own limited time
Of my husband’s verbal deficiencies
Of my children’s boundless curiosity.

Then I would have given anything
For boys to notice me
To be thin and pretty
To get the solos in the choir concerts
To always have a date for the dance.

Now I would give anything
To see my mom again
To be happy in my skin
To have time to sing solos for someone other than myself
And
Now that I have the date
To find the time to dance.