Lammermoore.

do not look into trees
grandmother said
especially when its dark
is filled with moving

do not point at the moon
grandmother said
beware earlobes
will be pinched

do not chew on frogs bones
grandmother said
teeth will decay
and fall out

do not eat ice tubes
grandmother said
only urchins, non-chinese children
will eat such filth

Now I’m older:
Trees and darkness are filled with spirits;
The Moon is sacred and easily affronted;
Frogs’ bones rot teeth, an old-wives’ tale;
And Grandmother, of course, is racist.

But before that
grandmother
was all the heaven and earth
and philosophy
i could ever need