Mark Forrester

Late Growth

a molting cardinal
hidden among the branches
autumn blossoms

I have been wearing my hearing aids for a little more than a year, yet my granddaughter has failed to notice them. I worried at first that she might try to pull at them, but she never seems to realize that they are there.

Until today. Perhaps she is sitting at just the right angle. Or perhaps one hearing aid has shifted slightly away from my ear. Esme pauses and looks thoughtfully for a moment, then reaches for her basket of costume jewelry.

“I have earrings too, Poppy!”

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About the Author

Mark Forrester has taught English at the University of Maryland for more than 25 years. He is a high school dropout, a former chef, and a husband, father, and grandfather.