Featured Poet of May 

   Congratulations to Allison Whittenberg, the Featured Poet of February! Allison Whittenberg is a Philadelphia native who has a global perspective. If she wasn’t an author she’d be a private detective or a jazz singer. She loves reading about history and true crime. Her other novels include

"Sweet Thang", "Hollywood and Maine", "Life is Fine", "Tutored", and "The Sane Asylum".

ENDNOTES

By Allison Whittenberg

On that gorgeous spring day, the strong sun mocks. It was so close to 

her June birthday. Couldn’t she have lasted two more weeks? Who knew she 

a timebomb? Who knew she had this hidden defect? I should have been born 

clairvoyant.

That day, distant relations ate sloppily. Macaroni salad slid off their 

spoons onto their chins.

They made it a party. There was chicken: fried, braised, broiled, roasted

So much damn food.

Anger is my favorite part of the grief process.I do it well.

The hincty lady down the street came by fussing for her pan.

She had left her pan.She had to have her pan.I’d lost a person; she’d 

lost a pan.

I gave her her pan, told her where to shove it, slammed the door.

I was old enough to know that pets, flowers, people die, but not mothers

Daddy’s usual husky, tender voice offered no solace.He crumbled like 

toast.

My brother contacted his therapist.

My sister still walks around with her face.

Daffodils bloomed.

And Otis Reading played on the stereo that Fa Fa Fa Fa sad song.

_____________________________________________________________________________________   I hope you enjoyed this month's Featured Poet! Come back next month for more poetry by talented writers. 

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