Check out this excerpt from a fun piece we found in the New Yorker.

“Do You Want These Old Things I Saved?”: Rhythmic Chants by My Mom

By Kerry Elson, The New Yorker, June 14, 2022

My Third-Grade Artwork
Hey, here’s a giraffe that you drew with Cray-Pas.
Let’s look at it and remember
When you made it.
You did such a beautiful job.
We could toss it in the recycling bin,
But that feels wrong,
That feels wrong.
So I’m rolling it back up
And keeping it in this garbage bag.
Next time you’re here,
Let’s reassess this work.
For now it shall remain
In this black Hefty bag,
And go back under your bed,
In my handy storage bin.

An Ellen Tracy Blazer Collection
Welcome, darling.
So good to have you visit.
Come this way because
I have a question.
Do you want,
Do you want,
Do you want
These nice wool blazers?
I wore them to conferences back in the day.
They’ve got a boxy fit,
Plus some shoulder pads,
But you could make them work—
Don’t you think?
These blazers could be kind of cool!

A Clock Shaped Like a Cat

Do you like this? Isn’t it adorable?
I know you can just look at your phone,
But wouldn’t it be nice to look away from it
Sometimes?
Great, you like it—take it, please!
I have five more downstairs—you can give them to your friends.
Hey, this mom has pretty good taste!
Don’t you agree?
Thanks for coming, sweetie.
I love you, and
If you change your mind
About that Liz Claiborne scarf,
Let me know!
Let me know!
I won’t give it away just yet,
For everything old is new again.
Let’s make it so.