Hope

she goes down to the courthouse

and changes

her name to Hope.

i try not to laugh, because she's

taking it so seriously.

i'm Hope now, she says,

not Betty anymore.

okay. i tell her, rolling

my eyes.

whenever you address me,

call me Hope, okay?

okay, i say, sighing, staring

out across parking lot.

she's a child of the sixties.

peace corp. an environmentalist,

recycler. namaste, kumbai ya.

peace, love and harmony.

free bobby seal,

angela davis,

the chicago seven, etc. etc.

you got it, i tell her.

giving her the peace sign, taking

a bite of my cinnamon scone.

don't take the brown acid, i 

remind her.