ISSN: 1941-4137
POETRY THAT ENACTS THE ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE PURITY OF GLASS
POETRY THAT ENACTS THE ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE PURITY OF GLASS
Author photo by Matte O'Brien
Thomas March is a poet, critic, and teacher who lives in New York City. His poetry column, "Appreciations," which appears regularly in Lambda Literary Review, promotes new work by offering close readings of poems from recent collections. His work has also appeared in The Believer, The Huffington Post, Bellevue Literary Review, The Account, The Common Online, Confrontation, The Good Men Project, Pleiades, Public Pool, and RHINO.
My Mother Knew How
It could be fall 
or early spring —
because her coat
is buttoned up
and there is wind
in some stray hairs
but no flinching —
in that photo
of my mother
by whoever
loved her that way
at seventeen,
a way that knew
that her eyes could
still dare him through
those thick glasses
and her half-smile
was just as much
as she could give
in confidence
and still take back.
or early spring —
because her coat
is buttoned up
and there is wind
in some stray hairs
but no flinching —
in that photo
of my mother
by whoever
loved her that way
at seventeen,
a way that knew
that her eyes could
still dare him through
those thick glasses
and her half-smile
was just as much
as she could give
in confidence
and still take back.
One of my mother's boyfriends took this picture of her when she was in high school. I don't remember when she first showed it to me, but it has been one of my favorites ever since. The beauty lies not only in her features themselves but in the carefree and serenely confident spirit that animates them.
Glass: A Journal of Poetry is published monthly by Glass Poetry Press.
All contents © the author.
All contents © the author.
