Jenny Billings Beaver has been writing poetry since elementary school and was first published in her local newspaper in the sixth grade. She received her BA in English from Wake Forest University and her MFA in creative writing (poetry) from Queens University of Charlotte. A native North Carolinian, Jenny lives in Charlotte with her newlywed husband Justin and Shih Tzu Tola. She formerly taught high school English and now works for her parents at NOMAD Aquatics and Fitness and as a freelance writer for the Charlotte Observer.
My Mom’s Post-it Notes
By Jenny Billings Beaver
are lethal. They are her weapon of choice.
Underlined for emphasis for a quick angry note,
“See Me Immediately,” red pen for the extra details
or instructions, “Please make sure you … “
permanent marker when you need to be aware
of something before you even read this,
“You need to be at work today at 9am.” It’s [9:53],
pencil helps her remember what to tell you
in person, “Remember to tell Jen…”
The worst ones, though are written in cursive
usually in black ink pen, the paper folded finding
only, “We’ll talk” inside.
Well-observed! That “We’ll talk” can be so foreboding.