426: mother

though I never called her that the austere version used in referential third person mom mommy momma when I call sometimes now she is so old princess queen courtly attention once sought found now in obligation twisting life to fit her neediness crowned in relational...

425: nonny we called her

she had no other grandchildren so just the four of us owned it all in memory it was because Tom could not say grandma as is the case for most affectations of name but maybe she assigned it to herself I could see this she was that sort sitting on the staircase the type...

424: for giving

I wrote of the youthful splendor of lying in the grass blades hit with the tender touch of sunlight in between tiny villages residents going about their lives a place I saw just as the math equation 2+2 and words in bold type across the chalkboard repeated spelled and...

421: attention never properly given breaks form

in seventh grade I’d just become aware boys friends with more appeal more attention more attraction more boys she road next to me traffic slow confining we rode our bikes to and from always nothing new hit she fell I jumped wrist trapped she was following me...