Poetry Month, 4/6/08 (Belated)
Anna Quindlen's column, The Last Word, (Newsweek, 4/14/08) featured a profile on Frances Richey. Her son Ben has served two tours in Iraq. Mrs. Richey is a poet whose collection, The Warrior, features a cover photo of her son as a toddler waving good-bye. Anna writes, "The picture is testimony to the fact that no mother ever sends an adult into battle. She sends her baby. If she is lucky, her baby comes back home."
(title unknown) - Frances Richey
Last Mother's Day, when
he was incommunicado,
nothing came.
Three days later, a message
in my box; a package,
the mail room closed.
I went out into the lobby,
banged my fist against
the desk. When they
gave it to me, I clutched it
to my chest, sobbing
like an animal.
I spoke to no one,
did not apologize.
I didn't care about the gift.
It was the note I wanted,
the salt from his hand,
the words.
(title unknown) - Frances Richey
Last Mother's Day, when
he was incommunicado,
nothing came.
Three days later, a message
in my box; a package,
the mail room closed.
I went out into the lobby,
banged my fist against
the desk. When they
gave it to me, I clutched it
to my chest, sobbing
like an animal.
I spoke to no one,
did not apologize.
I didn't care about the gift.
It was the note I wanted,
the salt from his hand,
the words.