Paradise on Pennies a Day

A statue of Mary, the Blessed Mother
(My mother was Mary)
Lived in the green back yard
Uncle Tim made it, I was told
Dark oval of stone
Smooth head, round hips
Cool to the touch at morning
Warm in the afternoon
The height of a child
(I was a child)

I looked for shiny whistles in the grass
I always found them
I wished for helicopters
They always appeared

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