How to Forget
I am lining my memories up against the wall.
They are begging me for reprieve. Here is the night
I found you on the floor, folded
like laundry.
Credit
As son
& mother.
Welfare.
State surplus
peanut butter,
cheese, & smiles
for Mr. Sullivan’s
monthly inspection
to certify our poverty.
All of Them
Down Syndrome Larry, my favorite
guy in the residence, the perfect
blend of Pillsbury Dough Boy
and Charlie Chaplin, all gap toothed
grins, warm cuddles and charm
bowing to kiss my aunt’s hand
when she gave him a silver dollar
the Christmas I brought him home
I Reached Out and Am Awaiting a Response
I’m the Lebron James
of local bureaucrats.
Give me a project
and I’ll manage it
step by step like a PMP
using the waterfall method.
Psalm for Working Women
A microwave is my savior; I shall not starve.
How It Happened
I thought I’d be at his side when he died.
Didn’t think I’d find his body,
relied on the clinician
who said his cancer will take time
to spread. But death struck my husband
with a lizard-quick tongue.