Tina Cane
GOOD MOM
For years I drove back and forth through traffic with a carload of children short distances like sprints
during which I would curse from behind the wheel for the sheer amount of hours and my propensity
towards profanity made it inevitable once my children were old enough to speak they began asking me
what these words I muttered under my breath meant it was then that I resolved to choose new swears
that didn’t sound so harsh as to prompt a response it was thus that I chose Jesus Christ
a name which rolled off my tongue a man my kids had never heard of despite the fact that I kept
a plaster Piéta on my desk where whenever I had the chance I’d sit and stare out at the trees and the grass
framed by my window trying to think and write poems or organize the bills this was back when my children
were still little meaning every now and again one of them would amble into my office to poke around
or to pick up the Piéta and smooth a small finger over the hard folds of Mary’s gown or shift its weight
from palm to palm to test its heft one day when my youngest son was three he turned to me
cradling the Piéta between his hands and asked Mommy Who is that lady? That lady I replied is Mary
And who is the man? he said The man I answered is Jesus Christ my son widened his eyes shook his head
then placed the Piéta back on my desk What’s wrong? I asked I can’t believe his mother named him
after a bad word my son sighed waving my hand I gasped for breath and laughed so hard I almost wept
Don’t cry my son said giving me a pat We don’t know her he added She’s probably still a good mom
Tina Cane is the founder/director of Writers-in-the-Schools, RI, and served as Poet Laureate of Rhode Island (2016-2024). A 2020 fellow with the Academy of American Poets, Cane is the author of The Fifth Thought, Dear Elena: Letters for Elena Ferrante, Once More With Feeling, Body of Work, and Year of the Murder Hornet, the verse novels Alma Presses Play and Are You Nobody Too? (for younger readers), and editor of Poetry is Bread: The Anthology.