Not
like the Classics
[nods to Catcher in the Rye, The
Member
of the Wedding and The Fox]
I
don’t remember Holden Caulfield,
never
read of his disillusionment, dead
brother,
phony adults and failed schools
until
I met a real life Holden, nothing
like
the classic novel, full of wonder, I
was
a member of a wedding, a bridesmaid
twice,
never felt part of a group as a teen,
indeed
struggled for a place among adults,
not
like the classic, runaway begging to
be
accepted, sat on the wooded edges like
a
fox, observing life, no jealousy, just
marched
on, few women friends, men
entered
and left, some without incident,
others
leaving heartache, not like them -
classics
where a tree falls atop a friendship
Julie
A. Dickson
Exeter,
New Hampshire
Role
Reversal
She
suddenly had the feeling that she
was
somehow older than her mother
Gram
died only weeks before, not even
time
enough to grieve for herself, but
mom
was obviously lost, after months
of
hospital visits, time was empty now,
a
hole where her vigil used to be, daily
phone
calls from mom to gram, gone.
She
naturally stepped into a new role,
checking
on mom often, welcome calls
filling
a void also allowed them to bond,
a
new relationship was forming, a kind
of
role reversal; now she felt as mother
Julie
A. Dickson
Exeter,
New Hampshire
waiting to die
foot
turned in
stroked
out look
on
her pallid face
holds
the same book
for
hours
blank
expression stare,
without
seeing words
going
through motions
familiar
yet absurd
stumbles
through
endless day
even
longer night
sits
weary
no
more does she fight
to
speak
no
one hears
her
strained voice
barely
a whisper
given
no choice
waiting
to die
Julie
A. Dickson
Exeter,
New Hampshire
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