Grandpa Scott, drawn by me, age 6

I find my drawing of him

I was six

and I remember

the star shaped clock

that hung on the wall

He sits in the yellow chair

the one by the gossamer curtains

and his bookshelf

that holds the near and dear

his pipe

Prince Albert

and tootsie pops

he puffs

on his pipe

smiling

that’s what he did

smile

he leans forward

one hand

reaching

for his walker

drawn in profile

it is placed

in front of the tv

with the red pedestal

bowl

the drawing

leaves out

his missing teeth

and me

missing him

I find my drawing of him

stuck in the middle of King Lear

in my mom’s faded book of Shakespeare.

MaryJo Scott

I wish I had….

A house

that had heat

in the kitchen

and

a banister

and light fixtures

in the living room

and

the dining room

and

the hallway

upstairs and down.

I wish I had

a house

by the sea

with furniture

made of silver grey

driftwood

and

shells for knobs

on creaky doors

that lead

outside

down one step

off the porch

onto a sandy path

lined with whispery reeds

that tell me secrets

all the way

to roaring blue

water.