The Astronaut's Apprentice / Nicole Matos

 Nicole Matos is a Chicago-based writer, professor, retired roller derby skater, and special needs mom. Her work has appeared in American Short Fiction, The Rumpus, Quiddity, Salon, XOJane, The Classical, theNewerYork, The Atticus Review, The Hairpin, THE2NDHAND txt, Chicago Literati, and many others. She has written about higher education for The Chronicle of Higher Education Vitae, Inside Higher Ed, and Pedagogy Unbound, and about special needs parenting for Hip Mama, Full Grown People, Brain Mother, and Monday Coffee. Her first chapbook of poetry, Oxidane (2014: Blazevox Books) has been described as "an intimate, unapologetic conversation 'like chess by mail' that sneaks up and stuns us." Follow her on Twitter at nicole_matos2. 

from THE ASTRONAUT'S APPRENTICE:

I turn out to be good

                    at babies.

                              That’s a stroke of luck.

Each baby, I assume, is a little protohuman:

                    she wants to be human

                                        but she doesn’t know how to do it

                                                 she’s just like me.

Joelie, a name with extra

                    dangling parts, like a sloppy sandwich.

                                        Her first word is “Cookie,” and “Yes” or “No

                                                           her name or your name

                                                                              aren’t quick to follow. It’s pretty clear you, her mom, are not fully relevant to her

                  and that’s perfect.

We will hold you in common as an unnamed mission,

                  a flag to be planted.