Illustration © George Panagooulos

Matters

Matriarch
lays down
her arms,

last words top
unread letters
to family,

surrounded by
legion of
deadbeat dads

who waited
last minute
to mail check.

On a train,
her daughters
hit the town.

Unpursed lips
cry to
cry out

not to shame
but to warn
them all:

You can still
accomplish
anything.

Only now
no mistakes
can be made,

back to
no mistakes
ever.

Chad Parenteau is Associate Editor of Oddball Magazine. His latest collection of poetry is The Collapsed Bookshelf.

George Panagopoulos is an Artist, Writer, and Comedian from Worcester, MA.