The Name She Gave Me

They say babies don’t come

with a manual—

but neither do parents.

Sometimes I pretended

my birthmother

was like God—

she knew all about me,

but was waiting

for the right moment

to appear.

Each time she said Ella

she smiled to herself,

like eBay had given her

a second-chance offer

on an item she’d been watching—

a newer model that might be

more user friendly.

It’s too bad

there’s not one place

where everybody you love

could always be—

some tiny planet like the one

the Little Prince lived on.

Then you’d never have to miss

anyone.