Cassie Premo Steele’s poem What I wish I could say was third runner-up in the First Ever vox poetica Poetry Contest (it appeared here in January 2011). Her book This is how honey runs is available at unbound CONTENT in both print and audiobook versions. This poem is classic Cassie.
Lima Beans
By Cassie Premo Steele
Both my girls like lima beans.
At first I thought it was a fluke.
The first one didn’t come from
my belly; I couldn’t claim her
taste. But the second did:
I named her when she was
a lima bean in me. Last night
for supper I made lima beans
and kale. They ate it up
like chocolate. I spooned
one bowl in me slowly,
like those skinny ladies.
They asked for seconds
and I scooped them more.
I did not know mothering
would be like this: giving
what they want, letting go
of what we wished.
Great poem. The last four lines say it all. We never do know what mothering is until we get there.