I grew looking back — looking forward? —
at lives older than mine & still going,
my childhood span a detour
in my bachelor uncles’ stories. Tommy
taught me plant names, dog walking,
shopping at the dairy farm — buttermilk
for him, cottage cheese & sweet milk
for everyone else. Charlie taught me driving,
tennis, & kissing though maybe he didn’t
mean to, his mouth open, me thirteen
& surprised, not ready to like it, not
knowing why his lips were soft, even
wanting to like it & liking him still
more for doing something odd.
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