Grandma Poem by RIC BASTASA

his son wants to get rid of
grandma

she removed the stickers
of his childhood from the walls
of his room
his cabinet cleaned of his toys
and he did like it

he has a mind of his own
and does not want to be
grandma's victim
like his papa

he thinks that when
grandma dies or when
she leaves to finally
return to her ancestral house
their family
shall be one again

he wants his pride whole
his ego unfractured
unlike his papa
he does not want any
stories about a boy
who was beaten almost to death
in the name of parental respect

when grandma begins to speak
he shuts his ears
and closes the door of his room

he still dreams of his
stickers and his toys and
a world without grandmas

and now papa must choose