2 mothers, no father—
no waiting 

My dad died in London
bang overnight; that was quick 
I was nothing but a baby, though PUCKISH!
dad had said in a letter
a couple of months before this sudden bang, and gone.

Then, my mother and sister turned around
together, like a fence I'd have to get through
and looked at me like I'd broken something
maybe him, and I knew—even a baby like me—
that it was going to be a long haul.

I guess I just stood there on my two-year old legs
trying already to stand my ground
with this woman, or mother, who'd gotten lucky
two years back, and this sister (who'd come about
in the same way, seven years back) and whew!
I said in that spot, wiping my baby brow;
I knew I was about to be unlucky.

There, in London, in my family of orgasm.
I couldn't wait to get away.
I'd be running for years.

I still feel criminal sometimes when I get happy,
or a little peace.

Walk, don't wait, to the nearest exit.

Stick a pin in the Sun

The man was so mad at summer

he began to wear red and yellow coats 

and black corduroy pants, against the sun. 

See that? he said to the sun.

Aren’t you hot? everybody said to him. 

He said he was sick

of being smothered

day after day after day

by the predictably tedious sun

not to mention watching the family outings; 

he wanted to get away from the get togethers; 

summer’s over, he said. 

And, he went on, I don’t like the Beach Boys. 

Anyway, he went on some more, it’s Halloween 

and that cold is so refreshing. 

They scolded him, but he said—

You know I know 

that the world doesn’t revolve around me, 

but I do need it to revolve within me. 

That cold is so refreshing. Or, 

I’m just used to it.

At night, the lunar snow will be his nightlight. 

Salem

I have many Witch friends too, now. But it wasn’t always the case, 

and I fumbled a few social moments; there were some faux pas. 

In Boston, in 1984, I was at a New Year’s Eve party, flirting 

with a woman in black hair and purple everything else. 

She was smoking, I wanted to, I was into menthols back then—

I asked her for a Salem. She looked violent for a moment.