Changes

By Eric Wilson

One day she was single
the next, I had a stepfather.

for years, I was the man of the house
now, I have to share the domain.
suddenly, what was mine and mine alone
no longer was; but I learned to deal with
the reality, although I wasn't pleased.

he's a wonderful man, overflowing with personality
and always smiling,
about my mom's height,
and a little older-
his beard is graying.

she's never met a stranger and
celebrated her fortieth birthday several times.
they're a cute couple.

in the turmoil of packing old memories,
moving dusty boxes,
and unpacking the memories again so that
we might add to them,
I got to know my step-dad.

my feelings changed from
disenchantment to ambivalence.
then with time, contact, and daily life
from acceptance to love.
he married her
and got stuck with both of us.

he's not just her husband
and my step-dad
and I'm not just his step-son
we're a family