Persona Poem: Nana’s Broken Taillight

For this exercise we had to write a poem about someone else in the class. We sat and talked for a little while, asked eachother questions, and then wrote. I wrote a poem about McCallum & his nana.


He’s long forgotten his dream, and is staring
at the red lines in the American Flag above his bed.
Not sure what they remind him of, he shuts his eyes
And breathes: in, out, in, his breath catches.

A sparkle of light finds the tear as it rolls
down the plane of his face towards his ear.
He doesn’t wipe it away and it pools
In the space at the crest of helix. It tickles.

So he swings his legs down, and places
His feet on the floor. He reaches for his shoes
Left first, then right. He needs the routine
More then ever now, for what he’s about to do.

Nana’s already awake and he can hear her voice
in the kitchen, her soft steps on the hardwood.
In the hallway wanting to dream again, he closes his eyes
but is thrust back into the darkness when he hears

“Mac, is that you? Come on in here… Breakfast is on the table.”
Hesitating a fraction of a second before the slightly open door,
he stands up straight and opens it wider,
momentarily blinded by the harsh light of the kitchen.

His grandmother walks over to say good morning,
and he lets her, a shadow passing over his face.
He knows he doesn’t deserve her affection.
His mother catches it and looks at him, questioning.

But he can’t tell her, because he has to tell Nana.
“Nana, can I tell you something?”
His shoulders are hunched and he can’t meet her gaze.
He begins to stutter out, “Nana, Nana, I….”

Her softly lilting voice interrupts, and he finally remembers.
“I know Mac, I know, and you’re forgiven.”