My father never calls me
on the phone
says he doesn't like the phone
It's up to me
to get to my parents' home
on summer weekends
where I find my father languid
in the backyard
smoking a cigarette
or pondering a flower
a crossword puzzle covering
his half-naked body
of pale meat and dark fur
his rich black hair
sprouting gray strands
Hi Dad/I say
and his voice/Hi Michael
is warm
He is happy to see me
standing there on the grass
He doesn't move/I want him to get up and hug me
instead I sway before him silent like a newly planted tree
and then I move into the house
looking for my mom
from THE ORIGIN OF THE GOLDFISH and other poems
Hero's
Journey Programs
5655 Bryant St.
Pittsburgh Pa 15206
412-363-1530