Wilkommen, my
long lost mother
I smell you here.
The hausfraus
fragrant and soft
as fresh loaves
of pumpernickel.
I see your hands
twisted in the call-
igraphy of pretzels.
I hear your tongue
cluck at the price
of milch chocolat
and imported meats.
Lost mother hidden
in shelves of Black
Forest tortes. Your
dark eyes stare out
of the window case
in my own old face.
Tammy Robacker is a Hedgebrook writer-in-residence and graduate of the Ranier Writing Workshop MFA program. She won the 2015 Keystone Chapbook Prize for her manuscript, ‘R.’ Her second poetry book, Villain Songs, is forthcoming with ELJ Editions in Winter 2017. Tammy was born in Germany, raised in Pennsylvania, and currently lives in Oregon with her fiancé. Visit the poet: tammyrobacker.com.