wedding guess          hoped a daughter

    flamingo pink faded blanket          circuit shorted        

             shrunken          pilled          frayed      

    thirty-six years             childless by choice      

         lean times             lower interest           

     when we blame               a partial tear        

           “Well then, I’ll go.”

       night’s hoarfrost                “Will you shut up?”

cling to or for poorer           cry         

            repair to bed          skimpy coverage

         clasp           patter           rub chuck chuckle

                       baritone love notes    

          tongue parted peach

               taut tap root            puckered wreath        

     arch                 limbering         

          what touches        last           trust wrought

Ah recolleck, firs from nis town tuh blow up

was Elfreda Suggs boy. C’mon. You know. Chain

speckly glasses tuh neck. Run a herdressin slon

own Palmetto. Nah, nah. You confusin Cassie Gatewood.

Much younguh. Cheek mole en nat promnen buss.

Lady ahm projettin pipe thin. Ugly ornge SUV.

Two strappy sons. Oldess was stah linebackuh

at Fannie Hamuh three yers. Ver well mannuh.

Corral carts en tote sack home fuh Piggy Wiggly.

One munt ovuhseas. Ship back innuh seal caskit.

Mama fell tuh pieces. Din feachuh no whoop-de-doo.

Jess a quite service at Mt. Ollie. Cawse Elfreda

dead set gains his goin. Doan believe no Muslin threat

much as fat cat schemin tuh churn en suck awl.

Boy ride shotgun fuh cargo up en down roads

wit lil armuh. Saddam hung. Now we dictat’n?

Bodies fly in at Dovuh sortuh hid away.

Mercuns ain spose see so many vets wit burns

en wickit wounds. Wow. Suggs. Gary? Gregry?

Larry? Jerry? Wow. Some reason firs name

scape me. He boun tuh pop up we watchis game.

Pass at bag pretzil sticks. Deez Cheez Doodle stale.