Bushy, the Family Mascot
Grandma’s house all packed up -
Ugly kitschy handmade crafts
Like beaded styro-Easter eggs,
Latchhook koala prints,
and advent Christmas wreathes,
Divvied among the grandchildren.
We being so “lucky” to attain
Bushy, the glass, nut-eating squirrel paper weight
That “accidentally” hopped in my brother’s family van
Upon our departure,
Only mailed to me later in the week
But resealed and returned to sender,
Until Bushy showed up on our doorstep
With a chocolate-heart-covered Valentine nut.
Then, Bushy snuck back to my brother’s fam,
Hiding as a toilet-paper holder in the bathroom
For Easter.
Not to be outdone, Bushy came back bearing
A May Day basket of cashews.
No worries though,
Bushy rallied with
A little duct tape, cardboard, and a shoestring-end tassel
To make a fine mortarboard
Dropped off on the reception table at Jilly’s graduation.
Oh, Bushy’s a sly one
But he’s the gift that keeps on giving
The whole year through…
