CHOIR BOY
There’s a young boy with red hair
singing in a choir all the words
he memorized but doesn’t know
because for all five years of his life
he’s been left
wondering
where did Dad go?
FARAWAY PARK
Headed West we moseyed past driveways
recycling bins mailboxes and trucks with trailers hitched
like your hand when you pulled her little red wagon
the jump rope plunking behind it
as she trolled for fish—blue ones greens browns:
all our favorite colors.
Our feet drew lines back to Faraway Park,
which she’s now re-named
after you.
Where the meadow replaces the streets
we found all these flowers that reminded us of love
while the frogs
got the hell out of dodge
after feeling us invade their space.
That’s when she asked me if you were still part of our family.
We jumped the creek.
To and forth. Back and fro.
Like them. The frogs. Like each other. Like
everything really.
We went to the cottage made of a tree too where
no one could ever find us, and she said
ooh maybe we should look for—and she said your name—
your water bottle since on your last day with us
you put it high up on a branch that
was made of your favorite color.
But when we looked
it was gone.
Like you.
ON THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
My spouse
said to me:
“Let’s get all this shit packed,
and put away. Garage is unlocked.
“And why didn’t you take those returns
already? You said you were going to.
“And can you get that mess cleaned
up over there. Please?
“And let’s get the kids to pick seven items to donate,
ok, doesn’t matter what items they are—big or small.
7 things. And tell them we are playing
the same game next week. I want the clutter gone.
“And do you know when the city’s coming
to pick up all the dead trees?
“And can we negotiate special times
for all the drumming and dancing
because I don’t think I can handle festivity
any longer.
“I’m pawning the old rings, by the way,
to pay the credit card bill this month.
“And I hope you don’t mind but
I’ve been seeing somebody
Recently, like we talked about, it’s nothing
yet, but I think we should sit down and talk about
how we want to tell the kids what’s going to happen
to our family.”
