of a prison matron is so thin her coat

is hanging off her shoulders.

Her hair is limp and oily, tied back

with a filthy scarf. Only when she leaves

the matron and comes to take my arm

do I recognize Aunt Vera, flashing

her familiar smile with the words:

We’re winning.

An Angel from Heaven / Muriel

An Angel from Heaven

Muriel

Aunt Vera needs a few days to regain

her strength. Horrible, just horrible.

I’ll tell you more about it when I can.

While I’m here, I’m helping out in Ruby’s

kindergarten class. I love the children!

At six-thirty Wednesday morning, a mother

brings her child to the door. Could you look after

Joey until school starts this morning? she asks.

No, I’m sorry, Ruby answers. I need time for making

my classroom ready to all the children.

The mother walks away, pulling Joey along.

She looks so tired and discouraged, I can’t

imagine how anyone could refuse her.

If I let him come in, Ruby explains, they are all

arriving an hour early every day. But surely

it can’t do any harm if I help, just this once.

I run to catch up with them: I’ll watch him for you.

The mother looks like she might cry. Oh, thank you, miss—

you’re an angel from heaven. Joey tentatively

takes my hand. We walk back to the playground.

Ma has to go to work, he says. If she’s late,

they’ll give her job to someone else.

I don’t like to go with her—it’s cold

where she works! His shoelace is broken; the pieces

are in knots; the shoe is falling off his foot.

I have an extra shoelace in my suitcase—

I get it for him and help him loosen the knots

so we can take the old one out and put the new one in.

He watches me tie it, then tries it himself,

and keeps on trying until he can do it.

Such a simple thing—a shoelace—but by the time

he’s tied his shoe, he’s grinning, and all day

in Ruby’s class, he won’t leave my side.

When Ruby tells a story, he sits close beside me;

when the children go outdoors, he takes my hand

to keep me with him. And when his mother

comes to pick him up, he unties his shoe,

ties it, beams up at her. Miss Muriel

teached me how, he says.

Put Grace on My Back / Ollie

Put Grace on My Back

Ollie

Stone by stone, Emma crosses carefully,

so she won’t stumble and fall in the water—carrying

Grace in her arms! Why? I run to them. Ollie, Grace fainted. I

need your help, she says. I am so happy to see you! I wade right in, up

to my knees in the cold water, lean down so Emma can put Grace on