My husband's poetry

Category: childhood

  • Ricky

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    cfblack
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    Ricky moved into a new house built on an old grass landing strip of Shambaugh Airport Three years older than everyone in 4th grade he’d chase me home from school One day, I ran into our house home early, Dad made me go back out and fight Ricky put me in a headlock I bit…

  • Drapes

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    cfblack
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    today I don’t know why but today I thought of you and wondered why today one day the house was empty the next day it was not drapes in every window we must have been fifteen you moved into a house on Osage I was your paperboy the Journal & Courier sent a note to…

  • a nickel a scoop

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    cfblack
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    Hot summer on sidewalk a lost dime no one saw you pick it up Snuck bike from garage two miles to Frozen Custard a nickel a scoop You lean forward lick fast so it doesn’t drip on shirt and give you away 8-22-20

  • Tuesday haiku

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    cfblack
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    do you remember running in clover, no cares I don’t, but I try 8-18-20

  • Cherry thief

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    cfblack
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    hot day supper’s hours away no one in the kitchen jar of Maraschino cherries sits alone in Frigidaire pop two in your mouth, flee out back door _____ return for supper angry Maraschino cherry mom questions pass blame suggest a sibling back hand to face “That’s for my cherries’ then another “That’s for lying” _____…

  • Dreaming with migraine headaches

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    cfblack
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    waking in a time loop of childhood terrors reading in front of class with a speech impediment holding your arm to control a tic trying not to hum or have outbursts in class scrapping in the hall because someone made fun paddlings in the office whippings when you got home suicidal thoughts you fought to…

  • Summertime

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    cfblack
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    Before air conditioning was a thing all doors and windows were open In the hall a box fan stirred the air moved it to the kitchen for supper Pulled weeds, hoed the garden picked worms from off the vines Rode bikes, played in the sprinkler sat in the front yard after dark Drank nickel root…

  • Kissing country girls

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    cfblack
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    She said, “You have to leave!” I asked, “Why?” She replied, “No one comes out this far in the country” I smiled and said, “I do.” She said, “That dust cloud on the horizon is Daddy’s truck.” I got in my car and left 8-10-20

  • One-winged bird

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    cfblack
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    On a wall of my mother’s parents’ living room hung her siblings all in a row and a photo of Grandpa’s family. It took me 68 years to ask where was grandma’s family. A simple answer, a dark secret or just the misogyny of an old German family. I’ll never know. The whys of this…

  • Time shifter

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    cfblack
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    In the back aisle of the grocery I saw you from behind Long stride, hunched shoulders shaggy dark hair _____ I followed to be sure it was you Near the checkout you turned Sad, kind, thoughtful eyes You smiled as you looked away _____ It’s been a couple of years since The night they found…