Grateful for my ability to recall
lessons learned as a rebel child
who became a rebellious grown up.

How life was lived prior to
Shelter In Place restrictions
and curfews. Legacy for this child,

grateful for lessons acquired
during that Then and Now,
the nightly bedtime routines

that parents hoped
would lead to sleep
for all.

Bedtime was simple. My Mom
read from a beautifully bound
book of Grimm’s Fairy Tales,

ended with night time prayers,
proven strategy to secure
a restful night.

But sleep didn’t come easy.
I was a thinker. Bedtime stories
inspired imagination.

I remained awake,
creating my own stories
remixing traditional tales

with my daytime adventures
of me running wild
with my madcap chihuahua,

exploring the mini-forrest
that would later be transformed
into a modern three bedroom home

for a new family.
My bedtime prayers
were spoken quietly,

heard only by
Mom, God, and a very
exhausted chihuahua.

 

Janet Cormier is a painter, writes prose and poetry, and performs comedy. JC prefers different and original over pretty. She loves collecting stuff, but cleaning not so much. Janet also talks to strangers. A lot. Her column appears weekly on Oddball Magazine.