In memory of my grandma-in-law.
Folding towels with your daughter
You suddenly asked
“Which one of them’s the man?”
We were quite surprised
When, delightedly aghast,
My girlfriend’s aunt recounted this to us.
Because despite the warnings
That you wouldn’t approve of it,
That you’d never understand it,
That your heart couldn’t take it,
You’d been the one who first made me feel like family.
And yet you puzzled over it.
It seemed to bother you.
Who was the tallest?
Who had bigger breasts?
Who was making more money?
At last, we heard the reason, second hand:
“My son won’t want his daughter
To be the man,
But if he is the father of the bride
He has to pay for everything:
And Stanley won’t like that…”
And we had thought you didn’t understand
When all the time
You were planning our lives together
Right from the start.
Tom Juniper Poetry 