Learning to Yawn
by Raud Kennedy
She always said to cough
with your mouth closed.
Only open it to eat,
or to say something intelligent.
Not something that sounded intelligent,
but was intelligent.
She didn’t expect to hear
much from me,
only the sound of my chewing,
lips tightly shut.
But I surprised her
when she got older
and life wasn’t so clear
as the numbers on her ruler,
but mauve and pastel.
Behind her back
I’d learned to yawn, to grin,
to show my teeth.
Raud Kennedy works as a dog trainer in Portland, Oregon.