POEM - Mother-in-Laws Are Weird

It wasn't an easy relationship

My mother-in-law and I

I made a bad first impression

And never tried too hard to change it

And with that we settled into our roles

She difficult and judgemental

I insolent and insufferable

And both of us cordial

For the sake of everyone else

Long enough play acting and a reality develops

And although I was always dirty and poor

I was reliable

I showed up when chores needed doing

And did the job right

Ran errands 

Helped at parties

Took out the trash

Made cute grandkids

And took care of her daughter

And in order to maintain 

My established designation

She would often pay for my labors

The worst though was holidays

Subjected to various corny events

As part of her pet project

To ensure the grandkids wouldn't suffer

Because of our perceived poverty

From Zoo Lights to The Nutcracker

We attended

Graciously

Thankfully

Privately nitpicking

For our own morbid pleasure

Some clumsily contrived gaudiness

Or amateur production value

As simpering sappy slop abounded

And we begrudgingly joined in

She has passed now

Several years back

And we had been away for the holidays

For many years before that

And I find

In spite of myself

I actually miss it

Miss the sappy shows

Grow inexplicably nostalgic 

For the manufactured happiness

Feel sorrow for my immaturity

And I long to be the bain

Of that crazy old bat's existence

Realizing

A little too late

She was trying

In her own kooky way

To make things just a little more special

To give joy in a way she felt she could

To say she loved us

That she didn't mind too much

That we were still hanging around