at night
my mother bathed me in a white tub
scrubbed me with white soap
rubbed me in a white towel
hugged and plugged me
into pajamas and the white sheets
an act so kind
so common
it barely even happened
Bruce Dethlefsen has been appointed Wisconsin Poet Laureate for 2011-2012. His mission is to promote Wisconsin poets and poetry. He is the author of two chapbooks, Decent Reed and Something Near the Dance Floor, which won the Posner Award Honorable Mention. His latest book, Breather (Fireweed Press, 2009) won an Outstanding Achievement in Poetry award from the Wisconsin Library Association. Bruce served six years as secretary of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poetry and hosted the Poet Tree reading series at the Montello Public Library for ten years. He lives in Westfield, Wisconsin.
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What a beautiful poem! So deep in its simplicity!