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In the family it was certain
that Uncle Bill would draw
his own curtain.
In the dictionary we kept up on the hill
next to the word Loneliness was
a picture of Uncle Bill.
Since kindergarten, he hadn't seen his kids–
by ex-wife's decree. Since then, his life
was skewered on gilded skids.
His jokes were always funny
and he never was short of money
He had everything in his home
but his punch-out was not there: everything.
He punched out under his sister's wing.
Aunt Linda had to clean the blood
from her garage and now her fears
are covered with mud.
Couldn't Uncle Bill, shouldn't Uncle Bill
have been somewhere else
for his final thrill?
His fatal finale, his final adios
was a luger moment after
the family was most
Confused, complicit and corrupted:
he made all of us feel
so interrupted.
When, in truth, we are ravens–not doves
when, in truth, all we should be thinking
is he still has our love.
His jokes were always funny
and he never was short of money
unlike Uncles Petey, Bob, and Tommy
and the loudmouth Aunt Honey.
He had everything in his home
except family.
He had everything in his home
except family.
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On the road
ReplyDeletewhere something
we are told
happened before spring
the lawn bloomed
food for a raven
but was removed
so he settled
for a small
creature
on the road
Uncle Bill told his raven
ReplyDeleteNevermore
Bounty on the road
ReplyDeleteSad nourishment
The clever crow
Wastes no one
"Bounty is where you find it"
ReplyDeletewas something Uncle Bill once said
to his favorite nephew, Nicholas (age 8).