Douglas Steele
Father's Grave
In my world
At Father's grave (of Him),
*
We, standing rain-sodden bumping shoulders.
My soulless brother braying:
Well, never mind his push and tug,
it’s all done now then.
HE of stabbing harsh words gone
A drop rolling down my cheek – rain?
freedom.
No concrete fist
that un balanced me each to every fortnight
(drove me deepest in my skin).
Yet all my guts
I would of given him
for a flourishing curled lip
In my world
at (still) me Da’s grave (of Him),
*
Us, heads bowed to best the steady rain.
My sister-warrior-hero sad singing:
Well, in his heart there was a bit of good I suppose.
But, it’s all done now then.
HE of voided shallow promises gone
A drop simply gently truly trolls my cheek.
The rain washes away that stained life
Of HE being he for always and ever
the rain washes away memories
In my world
at (still) me Da’s grave (of Him),
*
They, touching elbows mewing tepid sighs in the rain.
A strangest among strangers' speeches
Well folks, Appointed I - not much to say…
Anyway it’s all done now then.
HE of war time medals that no one knew
A drop touches my collar, to stay forever
And flinging with no shyness
the moist dirt that
lands hard atop the oak
I shake the rain – then He
And walk
away
free.
Hops and Apricots
1). The Old Man sighed smoked and talked:
We had no food, we left our home
started picking hops, then apricots
followed the fruit, 9 cents a box
slept on running boards
the irrigation ditches our fountains
and trees our toilet
Mom said dreams pursue reality
so with a 39 dollar bus ticket
toting a prune crate suitcase
and my name is Dickie pinned to my shirt
I went to live with Grandma on the corner lot
in Wyocena-village next to shallow Duck Creek
I boy’ed in corn stubble, rolling farmlands, wooded hilltops
and in Grandpa’s trunk full of civil war memories
fished barefoot catching whoppers no one saw
did chores until done right
Ya know everyone had a pocket knife
and a bag of marbles tied to their belt
we dragged burlap bags full of school books
I met knock kneed curly haired Betty
oh my how she kissed me by the railroad tracks
Billy plus Jack smoked corn silk
and threw up on their feet
I laughed and all was very good indeed
2). The Old Man took off his hat and dobbed at his top:
I didn’t miss those running boards
hops and apricots
and my olders but a distant recall
till mom lost out to the damned consumption
somewhere south of Frisco
that’s all I have to say about that
Days turned to years
there was a war a trench a gun
I had all three at once for a time
while mud-soldiering,
Took hot lead that sent me home, upright not boxed
knowing killing men is no great sport
Breathing free air, pushing a plow
I soon found my Betty, put a ring on her finger
had a son and a dog
all was right, until nature went wrong leaving us
to pack up the old Ford with the slow rusty leak
and we went to the towering city to claim our future
Mom said dreams pursue reality
Us in a one room on the corner of Jersey and Elm
with radiators belching black smoke and steam
my boy got sick, he didn’t wake up.
Hell, I know it’s the having a thing and losing it
that hurts most.
I can still see his small face
and hear his shrill laugh,
watch him steal hot cookies from the counter
and feel his mothers heart
break in two
that’s all I have to say about that
3). The Old Man sat on a stump to collect his thought:
After that my sweet darlin my gal was never her
we went on our way both quite alone
She to her people on the shallow Duck Creek
and me wandering empty job to dusty town
Still I memoried of running boards
hops and apricots
Its true the world comes ‘round
I fell into money, not from trying
but from short work in a long field of black Texas oil
Had a big car a bigger house
And dandified myself up
God but I still missed Bets and my boy
Mom said dreams pursue reality
From hops and apricots, bloody trenches to farms and oil
It was the finding of that one thing, her - that held me
I went to the shallow Duck Creek for my curly haired
Sweet so Sweet Betty. Kissed her, and stayed.
That’s all I have to say about that
4). The Old Man winked and shuffled down the tracks toward home.
