My mother used to say on occasion
that my father’s “get up and go, got

up and left.” I didn’t get it at the
time. Thinking back, I contemplated

the very slim chance that I actually
was around to hear but not understand

about what my mother was complaining.
Thousands of swimming sperm and one

little egg and bingo, I was the one
in a thousand. Then I gave thanks

that at that moment in time my father’s
“get up and go hadn’t got up and left”

— just yet, even though its kind of
embarrassing to consider — my parents?