Mama Said

“You look like a ragamuffin”

Mom would say

If I left without a belt

Or combing my hair properly

“Stick your fingers out the window

And they’ll blow off”

Another pearl of wisdom

Dropped while driving with rolled down windows

“If you keep crossing your eyes

They’ll get stuck that way,”

Threat undercut

When she crossed her own eyes

“Do what you’re supposed to do

When you’re supposed to do it”

Was her mantra

Heard from the Oracle at Delphi

“You could put your eye out

Was her all purpose safety tip

Whether playing baseball

Or soldering something

But my all time favorite

The crème de la crème

The piece de resistance

The acme, was

“If you go out jogging,

You could get hit by lightning”

She was dead serious

I said it was impossible

“Lee Treviño got hit by lighting,”

She would counter

“And he’s from El Paso,”

Our hometown

I tried to explain

Lee was on a golf course

Holding a club called an iron

While it was lightning

My protests had no effect

I finally let it go, humoring her

But I still want to know

What a ragamuffin is