No that’s not right
not the airport the racetrack
still able to replay and correct
those compound nouns
no problem yet with verbs
adjectives or heaven help us adverbs
or facts the Perseid Meteor Shower
when it occurs
and the words to songs
from the Fifties
so my memory long term
still intact
sharp and I have learned
two words from Greek
so without a second thought
Signomi and Efharisto
Forced to learn basic Italian
to protect myself incoming
from the son who thinks his words
slap a blank wall
but surprise here I am
Him thinking that now his girl
and he speak a private language
I’ll be out
It may take me a minute
or two to cross that synapse
not yet calling a camera
an apple
like Mom did on her packing list
on the way to Australia
When she got to the airport
did she check her list
wonder at the mistake
open her bag see a mystery
was what she wrote
what she thought
An instant of clarity
maybe her last maybe not
how was she to know
how are any of us to know
when the transient
becomes permanent