Story Problem

BYU Studies Quarterly Volume 47 | Issue 1 Article 7 1-1-2008 Story Problem Marilyn Bushman-Carlton Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq Recommended Citation Bushman-Carlton, Marilyn (2008) "Story Problem," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 47 : Iss. 1 , Article 7. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol47/iss1/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the All Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in BYU Studies Quarterly by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact , . Bushman-Carlton: Story Problem Story Problem From the deep well of his striped bib overalls Father would pull his pocket knife and score the candy bars— always two, always something with nuts and stretchy caramel and covered in thin skins of chocolate. He’d divide each sweet sentence into six carefully equal phrases. Much later, with five loves of my own, I recall his diligent portioning, his steadying the knife-holding hand with the palm of his other, and leveling his eyes before making the final divisions. He’d disregard what he knew of the hour’s bone-picked child, disallowing any inclinations to oversize the portion meant for her or to undercut the portion for the chronically grumbling one. For the fortunate one, he was always more than fair. —Marilyn Bushman-Carlton This poem won honorable mention in the 2007 BYU Studies poetry contest. Published by BYU ScholarsArchive, 2008 1  (...truncated)