Ingredients
That photo of the man, his little son,
And summer sunlight on their cuddling skin
Has disappeared. It was the only one
Jill had and most importantly no sin
Could be detected in it. But it’s lost.
Jill wonders if Ray disappeared it out
Of jealousy. The August sun had glossed
The father’s armpit hair as if to shout
That fatherhood should not be air-brushed from
Some sweatless realm. The infant held in crook
Of arm should not be raptured from the slum
Of druggies, even those like Dad who cook
Their fix with flick of flame before they plunge
Thrill in. That man was Dad despite the grunge.
~ Phillip Whidden
by phillipw | Sep 23, 2021 | AD, CO, DR, HE, LO, PA |