James B. Nicola
The Wisdom of Restraint
The things you said and did were dear but not
as dear as what you did not say or do
because I know how hard it was for you
to stop yourself when thunderstruck by thought.
You also kept yourself from butting in
beyond my need, somehow. Could I have grown
up had you not stood by as still as stone?
You knew that you could help, but could not win.
With kids of my own now, I've no complaint,
and understand a bit what you went through.
I'd fight and fix their worlds for them and tie
their shoes and care for them until they die.
But I'll go first, as you have. Nothing new
there, save my children's thanks for your restraint.
Bio
James B. Nicola is a frequent contributor to Shot Glass. The latest of his eight full-length poetry collections is Natural Tendencies. His nonfiction book Playing the Audience won a Choice magazine award. A graduate of Yale, he has received a Dana Literary Award, two Willow Review awards, Storyteller's People's Choice award, one Best Microfiction, one Best of Net, one Rhysling, and eleven Pushcart nominations-for which he feels both stunned and grateful.