Her Way

by Wanda Morrow Clevenger

 

when girls

my sister and I

were made to

scratch her back

and her head

until our fingers

came away oily

 

she said it was

nerves from

raising 4 girls

alone

 

a doctor told her

to take a glass

of wine at night

to relax

but her faith

prohibited this

 

I told her once

how our symptoms

matched

from nuts and

chocolate

but she shut me

down, said

she didn’t have

food allergies

 

I let it drop

she needed it

her way