Flat belly and training bra
she arrives for the summer
at her father’s house (and mine).
Grey shoes, first heels, match
new clothes.
Hands on hips, she poses
for Dad’s approval.
Two hours later she has taken over.
Rock group posters tacked
to her bedroom walls.
My study lamp taken,
she announces she MUST
have a radio of her own.
I recall my timid entrances
and, hating her, wonder
where she learned
it is all right to demand.
Levin has retired from careers as biology professor and as a psychotherapist. She lives in Princeton with her husband.
