& Now

Mom is saying
"tie your shoes
button your shirt & tie your shoes
we've got to get going."
All of us are getting into the car:
Mom at the wheel, Babe in the back,
me riding shotgun. I keep putting
my feet up on the dashboard &
wiggling my toes to make
the leather of my shoes heave.
Mom is saying "stop that
put your feet down & tie your shoes
do it now young man
don't make me turn this car around
& take you back home & make us all late."
Now I'm kicking my feet
& Mom is gripping the wheel
tighter & tighter & she is pushing
her sunglasses up on her head.
She is stopping the car
& unbuckling her seatbelt
& turning ot me & saying
"I'm sick & tired of your attitude
you need to shape up &
tie your shoes &
I'm not taking you home
no matter what you do with your feet
we are all going to church now
& you aren't going to complain
you are going to behave yourself
look at me when I'm talking to you."
I'm looking out the window.
I'm thinking about the horizon--
how it curves all around the earth
in a long straight line
& I'm thinking about how
the sun doesn't rise smoothly
but pops up & says good morning
more cheerful & sarcastic
than Mom on a Monday.
Now Mom is pretending
to be a lot angrier than she really is.
She's turning back around
& buckling her seatbelt
& slamming the car into drive
& we're going down the road
& I'm still looking out the window.

& now I'm tying my shoes.
I'm swinging my feet without kicking anything.
Babe is saying "Jujujujuju" & Mom thinks
that means Jesus, the Man in the Yellow Hat.

Five minutes later we are in the parking lot
& Mom is slamming doors.
We are going in & Mom is chatting
& we are sitting down.
I'm playing with my shoelaces
& Babe is picking her nose.
I'm standing up & sitting back down
before Mom sees me.
She's whipping her head around
& trying to catch me on my feet.
I'm getting bored & Mom is hissing
"tie your shoes."
I'm bored with shoes.
I'm taking off my right shoe.
Mom is saying "don't pick your nose Babe."
I'm taking off my left shoe
& I'm standing up to see
how the floor feels on my socks.
I'm sitting back down and taking off my socks.
Mom is looking for a stick of gum for Babe.
I'm standing on the floor with my bare feet
& unbuckling my belt
& I'm sliding my belt out of its loops.
I'm unbuttoning my sleeves & untucking my shirt.
Mom is chewing & Babe is picking
& they aren't looking at anything.
I'm unzipping my slacks & taking off my shirt.

& now I'm running out of here in my boxers.
I'm pushing open the heavy doors
& my feet are slapping flatly
on the pavement of the parking lot.
I'm at the car & it is locked,
so I'm sitting on the hood.
I'm sitting on the car
feeling the warm metal on my thighs
& singing at the top of my lungs.