Letters to a Future Nephew
Spring 2022
I’m so happy for you! And your
wife too, of course,
on your new flame. Your
beautiful blue-blanketed beady-
eyed babe with his marbly
little toes and pink face
peeking out into the cold.
He’s so small. When you told me
he was 10 months old I could hardly
believe it. How sudden. I was
holding my breath at the
edge of the chair wondering if
he’d look like her, you, or me.
None of the above! He’s a new
thing entirely. New man, new world,
new generation! Have patience,
with him. He listens and he feels–
Sons are the undersides of
rolling wheels;
good sons always overthrow their fathers.
you blink and he’s
turned up– all grown! Oh, you’ll have to
let me see him; I’ll pick him
up in his funny
overalls and rattle him like
a keychain lightly and tell
him fairy secrets, elven
tricks.
No, little thing, I’ll say. Don’t listen
to fathers. They do no good. Each
day follow your heart and
your gut– whichever organ reels
and laughs and says
“if you really
wanted to live, you could.”
Alexander Zera is a poet and short story writer from northeastern Pennsylvania.