Parenting 101

When I cry so
hard that words
only come out as
independent entities
between loud
breathless sobs
because of
everything
in particular
and my eyes are
scrunched up,
wrinkled and
quivering, and
my nose is a
funny rose pink,
and ears hot with
annoyance at
myself, my mother
walks over and
puts her arms
around my awkward
stooping body,
and gives me a
crash course
in parenting.