Granddaughter

This poem was published in  The Avenue Journal, Issue X: Dogs

Granddaughter
by Michael Milburn

She has a way 
of shaking her hands
around her waist
that reminds me 

of Vasily Alekseyev
at the ‘72 Olympics,
bending to the barbell
for the clean and jerk

as he shed a mix 
of chalk and stress, 
whereas she’s just 
driven by delight.

In a video her parents sent,
she totters from dish to dog,
carrying one kibble at a time,
each trip back accompanied

by hand wags of incredulity 
that this is a thing. Little Miss 
Pleased With Herself, all eyes 
on her as she squats to her task.

Michael Milburn teaches English in New Haven, CT.  He is the author of a collection of essays,  Odd Man In, and multiple books of poems.

You can purchase  The Avenue Journal Issue X: Dogs  in paperback at Bookshop.org, or, if you prefer it in digital format, you can  download the ebook in .epub format for pay-what-you-can (suggested donation $9) at ko-fi.