I never liked sitting on porches.
My father did
and sometimes my mother too.
I wondered,
are they really in love.
One might think so
if he passed down the street
toward the sunset
and happened to look over his shoulder
and see my mother's head
propped against my father's neck.
He might even hasten his step
into the oranges & reds & purples
with a new outlook,
hoping to find love
or maybe even a different life;

but
I know
that when it got cold and dark
my mother would come in
with her eyes on the floor
pretending to call our dog
(her way of praying)
until she made it to the kitchen.

For dinner
she cooked with onions
because she cared about us too much
to stay out on the porch
and look up past the stars.



                                                *mzf