MAGGIE RAINEY-SMITH
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Mother-in-law to newborn granddaughter
The hyphens implicate
me in the mothering
of your mother
who has no need
of another mother
and they mean too
that you my grand
daughter
(and grand you are)
are part of her
and part of me
and the hyphens
mean I’m your daddy’s
mother (minus any
hyphens – but plus
an umbilical)
which is rather like a
hyphen syphoning
blood from me to him
and then eventually to you
and hyphens are both
punctuation and
bridges and require
careful consideration
