My mother’s moods were as
inconstant as the tides.
Monotony had no part
in our household.
(Why is the sea never seen
as the lunatic devotee
she is?)
No foghorn sounded
when the mists rolled in
to keep me from crashing
onto the shoals.
Expert navigation was needed
to chart
the evershifting sandbanks,
and reach the safety
of the estuary.
Heidi Pidcoke is a member of San Francisco Friends Meeting (PacYM).