by Alison

“It’s SOOO cool…” she says

while poking the poor slug with

a dandelion

by Alison

Her teacher tells me,

“She shares her voice with music.”

The shy princess sings.

by Alison

he’s Jewish I’m not

and neither is our daughter -

it’s complicated

by Alison

daughter dictates her

story of the shy princess -

sugar plum blossoms

by Alison

“Are you getting married?”

she asks as I gussy up

for an interview.

by Alison

driving home through mist -

no siblings, daughter’s pulled

into the music

by Alison

she sits up, shouts out

“I’m a butterfly!” and then

settles back to sleep

by Alison

“Go away Mommy”

daughter says pushing me back.

Grandma is in town.

by Alison

.

Merry Christmas to You and Your Family in all it’s Infite Shapes and Forms!

Merry Christmas to You and Your Family!

when I was a girl

it was only minutes to

drive to Grandma’s house

.

now I have a girl -

planes, trains and automobiles

is the way it works

.

from Pennsylvania

now grandma’s in Florida

sister lives down south

.

we live out our dreams

up north in New Hampshire but

something is missing

.

still we are happy

to raise our girl amongst trees

ocean, farms and fields

.

Whatever form your

family takes I wish you

a Merry Christmas!

by Alison

trying to take kid

on a twelve hour road trip

wasn’t a good plan