Beautiful Enough
by Erika Dreifus
My parents have always maintained
that they believed Erika Dreifus
was “beautiful enough” on its own.
No middle name required.
But I think it’s also fair to say they never expected
that the summer before I entered fourth grade
we’d relocate from south Brooklyn to Prepland,
and that almost instantly I’d envy my classmates’
monogrammed sweaters and canvas totes,
not to mention the Bermuda bag covers.
All those triple initials, entwined.
For that matter, when I was born—
some years after The Feminine Mystique
but still before the Moon landing —
they weren’t anticipating that I’d never marry,
never move my surname-from-birth to middle-name position
as my mother had one generation earlier,
and her mother, before her.
So here we are,
my first name and my last.
Just the two of us.
Beautiful enough on our own.
PHOTOGRAPH: This is the very first photograph of Erika Dreifus, taken in (and by) the hospital where she was born.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I’m a big fan of writing prompts, and the fact that you’re reading this right now helps explain why. I wrote the first draft of this poem in February, after I received the following poetry prompt from Poets & Writers: “This week, write a poem about your name. When you were born, you were given a name before beginning to develop a sense of self. Have you grown into your name, or have you always resisted it? Knowing who you are today, where you’ve come from, and where you see yourself going, would you choose a different name for yourself?”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Erika Dreifus lives in New York, where she writes poetry and prose and serves as Media Editor for Fig Tree Books. Since 2004, she has published the popular “Practicing Writer” newsletter for poets, fictionists, and writers of creative nonfiction. Visit her online at www.erikadreifus.com and follow her on Twitter @ErikaDreifus, where she tweets on “matters bookish and/or Jewish.”
Really wonderful work Erika! Such a pleasure to see your poem here!
You are right. It is a beautiful name, and perfect for an author of your caliber.
Loved the poem. Last four lines are so clever to finish with.
Thank you, Trish & Michael!
I enjoyed reading this, Erika. Very well-written.
(and I’d forgotten about those days of monogrammed clothing. Thanks for the memory.)
Least can be better, for more easily remembered.
Good write kid.
[…] “maiden names.” Which reminds me that I have not yet shared my latest published poem, “Beautiful Enough,” part of the wonderful “All About My Name” series that’s currently running over on […]
[…] I admit that last year commenced with a similar intention—which petered out around April/May. But while it lasted, it was great—I wrote A LOT of poems, a few of which, after revision, have been published or accepted for publication in 2016. (Example: “Beautiful Enough.”) […]
[…] FROM THE AUTHOR: As I’ve mentioned before, I am a big fan of writing prompts. I wrote the first draft of this poem last April, during […]