My sister and IShare the same freckle on our right handSound the same on the telephone and sometimesShy away from what we know is better for usPerhaps we think we don’t deserve muchA little damaged by the family that raised usSearching for the parallel lines that would take us to a brighter finish line She was the first to catch a fish on that taut … Continue reading Beauty Mark or Blemish by Alise Versella
“You don’t look I-talian.”“Do you get dark in the summer?”“Do you know anyone in the mob?”“Of course she’s Italian, she’s from Staten Island.”“And look at her nose…” Yes, let’s address my Romanesque NoseThat hooked beakFor so many years I loathedMy profileLearned the perfect head tilt, the proper way to smile Do you know my great-grandparents came outta Harlem?Yes, 110th Do you know I can’tSay anything nice in … Continue reading Things I’ve Heard While Growing Up Italian by Alise Versella
