She didn't tell him for some reason
That summer day sometime in the 1950s
When my mother took us three children
Driving to a place we had never been
Off we went to the Mystic Seaport to explore
Where her Aunt Cora was a benefactor
Heading there while my father was at work unaware
Thinking we'd return before he found us out
A photo she took just before we started back
Posing us clinging to some nautical rope decor
Documented that we finally made it there
Introduced to a family connection of hers
What fun we had that day on our little adventure
Until we returned met by our visibly angry father
Already home and extremely upset
For what reason we could not know why
The story does not end there at the door
But like waking up abruptly from a dream
Escaping some situation with no way out
This is where I let him fade into nothingness
Deliberately practicing selective memory
Choosing to focus on what I enjoyed most
Thinking about that day and him and her and us
How we found ways to be happy anyway
