Suppose You Were the Only One

Suppose You Were the Only One

Suppose you were the only one who knew:

Your father liked to listen to freight trains passing his house when he was a boy.

At night he’d lie his blonde head down & listen to the trains rattling along the tracks

and he’d count the long line of cars until he became drowsy and dreamed of trains.

Would you tell your son?

Suppose you were the only one who knew:

Your mother was a fearless freckled girl who loved to roller skate.

She lived in New York City and raced along the neighborhood sidewalks

with her long red hair flying as she jumped the cracks and laughed.

Would you tell your daughters?

Suppose you were the only one who knew:

Your tall dark haired grandfather liked to do magic tricks.

He kept shiny coins ready in his vest pocket and a smile on his face,

ready to make those coins appear & disappear and make children laugh.

Would you tell your grandson?

Suppose you were the only one who knew:

Your grandmother had long strawberry blonde hair.

She washed it with rainwater and brushed it one hundred strokes every night

and when she told you your hair was just like hers it made you feel very special.

Would you tell your granddaughter?

Suppose you were the only one who knew:

Your Irish great grandfather loved St. Patrick’s Day.

He’d throw open all the windows of their New York City apartment

and he’d pound out Irish songs on their piano as he sang along & music floated out to the street.

Would you tell your nieces and nephews?

Suppose you were the only one who knew:

Your great grandparents in Ohio wrote love letters to each other.

She wrote about sewing and stringing popcorn for the tree & he wrote of planting and carpentry,

And love spilled out between the words.

Would you tell your cousins?

Suppose you were the only one who knew the family stories.

Would you pick up a pen?

Colleen G. Brown Pasquale

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