1965

remembering
is a blessing
the hot summer mornings
the air smelled close
the kitchen linoleum
sticky
the hum of factories
the sky orange and
grey
the battles of childhood
leave the worst
scars
there was a family
who had like 10 kids
all boys
and were
if memory serves
one meaner than the next
one my age always started
one day I finished
of course
next were two more brothers
against
one of whom I held
my own
i always wanted a big brother
to have my back
to tell me where to step
I had to do it solo
and having missing teeth
as proof