From “Bestiary”
My mother sends me a black-and-white
photograph of her and my father, circa
1968, posing with two Indian men.
“Who are those Indian guys?” I ask her
on the phone.
“I don’t know,” she says.
The next obvious question: “Then why
did you send me this photo?” But I don’t
ask it.
One of those strange Indian men is
pointing up toward the sky.
Above them, a bird shaped like a
question mark.
Notes:
This poem originally appeared in "Poetry Not Written for Children that Children Might Nevertheless Enjoy," by Lemony Snicket.
Copyright Credit: “Bestiary” is reprinted by permission of Ugly Duckling Presse.
Source: Poetry (September 2013)