The teenage girl brought her smart-mouth
and new friend to the dinner table.
Over roast chicken, mashed potatoes,
green beans, then cherry pie,
she and her grandfather
jousted and bandied thoughts
on the world’s doings.
The friend listened, open-mouthed,
at the wide-ranging, hot discussions.
 
After a sharper than usual
verbal jab from the elder
the girl leaned forward and said,
“Look here, Grampy,
under those hurtful, awful,
dreadful, terrible words,”
(her friend gasped)
“I know you worship me,
adore me” (his fingers tapped
the rhythm on his knee, a smile
grew in his eyes).
“You think I’m the cat’s pajamas”
(her voice triumphant)
“the utterly most!”
 
They beamed at each other,
leaned across the corner
of the table, exchanged
a soft butterfly kiss.

This poem first appeared in Advocate (2014).
Used here with the author’s permission.