Crank (Crank 1)

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,