The Scenic Route

By Allison Mei-Li
@writtenbyallison

Go on, take the broom—
even if you miss the dustpan, 
crumbs scattering like birdseed 
on a windy day. 
I love to watch you try. 
I have always been one 
for the scenic route. 
Let us hold hands 
down the grocery aisle,
tapping our chins as we take in 
the art installation 
of cereal boxes. 
Forget the self-checkout 
at the library, 
let us carry each book 
in the crooks of our arms 
to the woman with the tattooed wrist, 
the one who hands you stickers 
like magic from a sleeve. 
Let us spill the pancake batter, 
watch it spread, spelling m-e-s-s: 
a word that no longer 
alarms me. 
Little one, let’s do this 
together. Even if it takes 
three times as long. 
I have nowhere 
better to be 
than here, 
dancing with you 
in the soft belly 
of this slow life.

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Guest poetry written by Allison Mei-Li. Allison is a poet, mother, and speech therapist living in California. This poem is from her forthcoming poetry collection on motherhood. You can learn more about her work at writtenbyallison.com or @writtenbyallison. Her writing has appeared in journals such as Rust & Moth, MER Literary, Voicemail Poems, and Wildscape, and she was recently shortlisted for the Central Avenue Poetry Prize.

Photo by Jennifer Floyd.