nose tales

it became difficult
to breathe in my 20s
they removed tons
of excess cartilage
from my nose then
sanded down my
Italian bump while
I drug giggled at
emery board sounds
my new nose showed
up on my son’s face
when he became a man

my grandfather had
trouble saying thumb
I say tum he told me
if they don’t know
what I mean I show
them he said holding
out his thumb in front
of my nose where it
was difficult to see

nose hairs do a job
for us those hairs
like so many others
seem too animal like
we pluck and shave
and wax all the hairs
start to surrender as
we age but the nose
hairs double down

Cinse Bonino
2023