Hide and Seek
Father used to dumpster dive
and search inside donation boxes at night
when the only witness was the moon.
He’d come home with trash bags
filled with mystery items–
some were junk, others were treasures.
One of those bags had a doll.
Its arm had been detached.
Father pushed it into its socket in seconds.
But people are not dolls.
Once broken, it’s not easy to be put back together.
It’s not simple to let go.
“Do you like the doll?” my father asked.
I nodded and held her tightly.
My father, who never had parents,
smiled and hid his tears.
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This poem is from the chapbook The Undressing of a Moon by Elaine Nadal (Finishing Line Press), and can be found at https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/the-undressing-of-a-moon-by-elaine-nadal/
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Elaine Nadal is Poet Laureate of Milford, CT. She is a writer and educator. She is the author of When and Sweat, Dance, Sing, Cut, both published by Finishing Line Press. She holds a master’s degree in liberal studies from Wesleyan University, as well as degrees in Spanish secondary education and fine arts (music). A Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net-nominee, her work has appeared in several journals. Elaine has also delivered a TEDx talk on hope, poetry, and music.
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