Gore Vidal:His Part In My Upbringing

On the day of the not quite unexpected death
of Gore Vidal I will tell here of how close to him
I lived in the small town I grew up in.

When I was young enough
to listen but too young to understand
or have mother explain herself to me
she often quoted him, on parenting.
'Never have children, only grandchildren'.
She meant it as my sex education.
I followed her advice and never married.
Quoting Gore, I now understand him more
than she ever did, much to her disappointment.