By Judy Allen
—
One day, he will surprise you.
He will put on his own tie
and take the car to pick up her flowers
(though you still paid for them).
The girl is someone
you have not yet met.
And you will realize
it’s done.
And it doesn’t matter
how many videos
he watched on Saturday,
or if he ate all his peas.
What does matter
is that he is kind
to the autistic girl in his class,
and that he listens
when you speak, even if
he does not agree.
You will know that he
is no longer yours,
because he never was.
