My grandfather wasn’t much of a breadwinner—but he excelled at squirreling away other people’s castoffs in his basement and garage. The basement was the size of a big box store, and the garage was two stories high. It took over a decade for the family to clean everything out. Part of that task fell to my mother, who swore she wouldn’t subject her own children to a similar fate. As soon as she retired, she began mailing boxes of memorabilia to my brother and me. Childhood books, toys, clothes, heirlooms—she distributed them all, a paragon of efficiency. But some of what she sent, I couldn’t fathom why.

proof of life 

my mom saved 
every letter 
I ever wrote her 

then gave 
them all back 

—Long-Listed Finalist in MacQ’s Cheribun Challenge #2

Cynthia Anderson

A California resident for more than 40 years, Cynthia Anderson is the author of 13 poetry collections, most recently The Far Mountain (The Wise Owl Publications, 2024), Arrival (Sheila-Na-Gig Editions, 2023), and Full Circle (Cholla Needles Press, 2022). Her poems appear frequently in journals and anthologies, and her work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Cynthia is co-editor of the anthology A Bird Black As the Sun: California Poets on Crows & Ravens (Green Poet Press).

Author’s website: www.cynthiaandersonpoet.com