What It Takes

6:32am

is a time of clarity

and what’s clear to me as I hold my daughter and her bottle, Comotomo,

what’s clear, what covid made clear,

is that the proverb was wrong—

in fact

it takes a Walmart to raise this one.

It takes DIAPERS and Kirkland wipes and

Penaten bum cream. It takes

lotions like Baby Boo Bamboo or

Baby Bum Coconut Balm and

we sometimes need Ddrops and SkipHops and

books with apples up on top and

a silicone Soothie and Sleep Sheep 

help her fall unconscious.

It’s clear it takes some parents and a Walmart.

But Dr Seuss made me think

what’s also clear is there’s no plastic for pain.

Aveeno lotion dries up.

And there’s no rain jacket for the hard rain

and you can spend your money at Walmart

but you face this road like a Camino pilgrim,

your kid strapped on your back,

and you packed nothing but FunDip and a rubber giraffe.

and you’re going to die except for the fellow pilgrims

and the hosts,

who take you in.

Text: Jeffrey Hynds

Photography: Gable Mak