Once when I was little,
I plopped myself down
In the favorite chair
Smiling and giggling.
Soon I felt your arms
Picking me up with ease
As you tossed me across the couch
And quickly took my spot.
Once when I was little,
We stayed up late to watch TV.
You would replay the movie,
Showing me the same scenes
Late into the night
As we held our stomachs tight
From the pain of laughter,
Showing me what funny meant.
Once when I was little,
I would sneak into your room.
Wandering around your grown up things
Black lights, a tarantula, and incense
Nets, and albums and instruments
You sometimes caught me
And chased me up the stairs
Fast at my heels
Once when I was little,
You went out for the night
Dropping piles of records on my bed
Before rushing out the door
Assigning certain tracks
For me to assess
My little girl records temporarily stashed away away
To learn about what music you loved
Once when I was little,
You took out your electric kit.
Connecting wires and wires across the room
Spending hours setting up the obstacle course.
With the lights off you challenged me to find my way
In the dark I crept and crawled, felt my way around each wire
Hoping the buzzer wouldn’t sound
But it always did.
Once when I was little
It snowed up to the roof
You dressed up in your warmest clothes
And dug twisted paths with connected rooms
Working in the cold for hours.
I helped as much as a little girl could
We stayed in that fort for what felt like days
A special winter space that we both could share.
Once when I was little
I watched you play in the band
There you stood on a stage
Belting out solos
Or floating over the vocals
While all of the teenaged girls screamed.
At school I became a celebrity, too
Simply by sharing your name,
Never by playing as well.
Once when I was little
I went to bed on a hot summer’s night
Flipping my pillow to cool my face
I fell on the verge of dreams.
But stirred when I heard
The gentle thud of a glass jar
I opened my eyes to the small summer lights
that you had caught just for me.
Once when I was little
We flew to your home on the sea
For a few days you showed me around
We walked on the beach, and drove along the shore
We visited the classic sites
You shared that world with me
Until it was time for me to go abroad
You were the last one to say goodbye to me
Once when I was little
It was my special day
I dressed up all in white
And wore flowers in my hair.
I tucked my arm under your own
You smiled at me before we were on our way
You guided me down the flower-strewn path
And gave me to my groom
Now I am no longer little
Many years have passed
We have each watched
As our own little girls have grown
Many new memories have been made
But I still remember
I remember
Once…when I was little