Aline Mello
Mother Citizen
She has flowers on her dress
and a blue blazer.
Her hand is cold
but she raises it like a flag.
Makes the promises.
I don’t know when I should stop
taking pictures, how many shots
of your mother leaving
does a daughter need?
Her hand lowers and she
smiles at what she’s begun.
Aline Mello is an editor and writer of poetry and prose. She’s from Brazil and lives in Atlanta. She is an Undocupoets fellow and her work has been published or is upcoming in The New Republic, Atlanta Review, Grist, and elsewhere. Her handle for all things social is @thealinemello.