Dinner

it was yummy 15 years ago

when kids didn't eat anything,

after a full day at work, mommy

had no energy, she could put a bit

of cottage cheese and sliced fruit

on the side, a few colors, a few textures

they would not starve after all.

my daughter might call it organic junk food

now, accusing me of bad parenting,

since when did basic nourishment

deserve the label of bad parenting

because it was not home-grown,

lovingly cooked and served

by a mom in a pink apron and cheerful 

smile, I might say that we mothers

deserve a medal for earning the money

to buy the food and then even having

the energy to cook the food, serve it

and do the clean-up.

how difficult to be a mother,

our reward to see our son healthy

enough to dead-lift 250 pounds,

and our daughter's brain sufficiently

nourished to receive faculty invitations

at top universities.

I think I did ok, even serving Annie's

on occasion, we all survived.