Your Father's Dead

Your Father's Dead

1

“We no longer consider a person to be property

as in the past when slavery was our custom.”

I've reported our troubles to you and my crinkly voice

grinds from only this throat only one larynx

like a box organ wound tight

like chattering in our park

my reports flitter from these park benches

waver through the air on these black wires to you

when will you answer this

now that your father's dead

and your father's dead

Put your teeth in baby, I’m gonna give you somethin’

            To chew on baby, I’m gonna give you somethin’ tasty

2

“The US Supreme Court has extended the rights of personhood

to corporations where certain necessities of speech occur.”

grief not all it’s cracked up to be

                                                my balls ache

probably the universe chugging

me and dipping my big toe

into a black hole

                                    but I digress

father in heaven have I sinned against thee

father in heaven forgive me

I need your help to hand me to lower hell

father in heaven forgive me

forgetting your face shines in mine

my nose larger than a frankfurter

my hands twisting my middle

finger poking my stomach         stretching my knees bowing

father passed but not past

still living in me                         rosy spots

brown stains on my ankles

                        crusts on my lips

eyes running

            vision narrowing

watching your flat screen

watching your Red Sox

remembering your girlfriend

remembering your vases

made from Quaker Oats’ cartons

your pencil holders made from ‘der ders’

borderless heaven spread across the sky

home to flies and gnats and gods

tightening the belt

                        watching the budget

how did you get to Jerusalem

                                    in one night?

staph A in the lungs       in the blood

the machine dripping opiate

dialed up and up

your oxygen pulsed up and up

I held your hand

I prayed to God

I knelt against your bed

your eyes above the plastic mask

stirred somewhat

Naomi prayed beside you

ein sof     absorbs us all

now and always

before and after

rocks dirt and worms

moon

                        sun

            sparks

grease                           guts

                        stars

sludge               land

dough   crawfish            bass

                        and crabs

through and through

the bells ring to wake us

the bells ring to send us

love our fleshless songs

shades sing beats ring

            from sass

                        and glances

love us deep in the bucket

            of our sorrow

if ever thou thy dear father loved

            the love of tenors

old songs          tomatoes in Aunt Cora’s patch

clowns drawn on envelopes

you were a giant on the earth

trudging out to be a messenger

wading out into the Indian River

to hook trout redfish and blues

singing loudly

singing loudly

purging yourself of any greed

            yet critical

critical and angry

            unwilling to surrender

'widow and orphan and tramp

protect them

            protect them'

then rest rest

Put your teeth in baby, I’m gonna give you somethin’

            To chew on baby, I’m gonna give you somethin’ tasty

3

“Therefore, corporations being persons should not be

considered property rightfully held by stock holders.”

I had to come back again to look at him

I missed so much

his nose had shifted aside as though the mortician

decided this early in his death

his nostrils should focus right not straight ahead

I counted his fingers

how thin they had become

how sallow the skin over his hands

except the bruises on top where phlebotomists had searched

for one good vein and imposed their own stigmata

I saw his face as if for the first time

his round globelike forehead gleamed

and some rough hairs ran back combed to lie

closer to his scalp

your eyes are closed

 

[valediction]