if mama/ could see

if mama
could see
she would see
lucy sprawling
limbs of lucy
decorating the
backs of chairs
lucy hair
holding the mirrors up
that reflect odd
aspects of lucy.

if mama
could hear
she would hear
lucysong rolled in the
corners like lint
exotic webs of lucysighs
long lucy spiders explaining
to obscure gods.

if mama
could talk
she would talk
good girl
good girl
good girl

clean up your room.


-- Lucille Clifton, 1936-2010, African American poet, children's book author, Maryland's Poet Laureate 1974-1985, and professor, from Good Woman: Poems and a Memoir, 1969-1980.