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Memory
By Kwame Alexander
from Rebound
When I was little
Mom would read me
a book each night
then tuck me in
and kiss
both cheeks
and my forehead.
My dad
would be at work
so he’d call
from his night job
and say Sleep tight,
don’t let the bed bugs bite,
and then Mom
would say
Good night, honey. Smooches.
And Dad would blow
a kiss
through the phone
and all was good
in our world.
Tonight
I whisper
Smooches
to myself,
and almost
hear a kiss
in the air
(or maybe it’s the fan),
but either way
I feel
a little more normal,
like maybe he’s still here,
but not in a ghost
kind of way,
more like in a
as long as I remember him
he’s still right here
in my heart
kind of way.
CLiPPA TEACHING SEQUENCES
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Rebound CLiPPA Teaching Sequence, 2019