Short Story Unit
I read a story once
One of many stories
Short stories, in fact
A unit we went through
I think it was in seventh grade
In this narrative,
Told from a boy’s perspective,
There was a stepmother
He didn’t like so much
No, she wasn’t classic fairytale mean
She was pleasant, but she wasn’t
His first mom
The real one
His mom was prettier
And better in all ways
But she had died
Then dad had remarried
The boy was sad, crestfallen
All the time
I don’t recall the lashing out
Because there wasn’t any
But at a dinner out, the boy
Noticed a moment when
His father tucked a loose
Curl up inside her hat,
And then the boy knew that his
Father really loved her
And for his sake
And for his sake,
He should try to love her, too
C L Couch
Image by Jenna Nguyen from Pixabay
clcouch123 
March 18, 2020 at 2:51 pm
Mothers tend not to die these days, they take their kids with them when they move in with another man who already has four children from three previous relationships and it isn’t a step mother who’s the problem it’s a whole bunch of step siblings who dislike one another…
Life was simpler before recomposed families were invented 🙂 Have you read The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly? It’s on the same theme as your poem.
March 19, 2020 at 10:21 pm
Yes, you’re right, life was simpler. In the story, the stepmother wasn’t the problem but the boy’s attitude. And there were no step-siblings!
I’ve heard the title of the work by John Connelly. Now I’ll have to seek it out. Thank you!
March 20, 2020 at 8:04 am
I enjoyed it. Apparently it was marketed as a young adult novel which it definitely is not.