To My Stepfather
You showed me tonight
how our old kitchen barometer works –
telling me about mercury,
explaining its pressure on the earth,
and showing me
the coil and chain inside the glass
working together to position the needle of the barometer.
That’s the first time
anyone ever explained it to me.
I never had a father
to explain things to me
before (who I really remember).
Tonight,
you made me realize once again
how much I have missed all these years . . .
And now,
I know you . . .
and I’m glad.
