I may have gained a little perspective.
Mom struggled to raise two kids
on her own, at least until Scott
blundered into her life.
Jake was a late addition,
one the workout queen accepted
and loved despite killer stretch marks
and sure-to-sag-even-more boobs.
As for Dad, well, truth be told, his love
of drugs surpassed his love of family.
And when we were small, he just
happened to install cable TV,
giving him every opportunity
to experience the wild side of
bored, stay-at-home housewives,
eager for entertainment.
So it was, perhaps, ironic
that I discovered …
Dad Hadn’t Paid His Cable Bill
Three fuzzy channels
hissed and spit
a rerun of Friends,
extra-inning baseball, and
soap opera, en español.
I should have gone
straight to bed,
counted cracks
in the ceiling.
Instead, I went outside.
Cigarette smoke,