If Her Tears Are Pearls Poem by RIC BASTASA

today the little girl
as i see her has grown taller

her papa has always scolded
mama even for those little lapses

her mama is silent and bows
her head to this patriarchal thing

the little girl is confused
she is a girl after all and she loves

them both. today her bangs are not
straight, her eyes sharp, her sneakers

noisy on the floor, and she tells her
mommy i love you and looks at daddy

too and says i love you daddy then
she sits on the floor covering her

face with her two hands. we are curious
if her tears are pearls.