They, who should not have disappeared,
Did
And my mother sent me to find them.
They, who had endured last night’s disaster
At the Benton Club (the fiancé hardly mattered)
As the future father-in-law on the upside of too many Jack Daniels’
They who of course did not belong
Sauntered down the old stone steps
Red hair swinging, bikinis, and a smile
Because the boys had said
We’ll see you at the Club
They who of course did not belong
Had spent hours planning the breaking and entering.
My mother said that they could name me
They who were not usually allowed extra dessert
In that household of ambitious sparseness.
My sisters agonized as they whispered in bed at night
Under the pink flowered bedspread
Listening for my father’s footsteps
Jane Wood joined Park University as an Associate Professor of English and Chair of the English Department in the fall of 2006. Prior to joining Park University, Wood was the Director of the UMKC Women's Center and a lecturer in the UMKC English Department (2002—2006).