Parting Glass
Joan’s oldest child
assaulted with
a meat cleaver,
talk about knives
Mary Beth, her son
hung himself, and
Joes plastered day
and night
Ann is kicked from
time to time,
dragged by her roots
swept across the floor
Agnes picks up
all the broken glass –
while Mama shakes
between an open door
Randy, aborts a child
who sucks its thumb,
moved outside to stare
inside a cardboard box
next to her shopping cart,
a child’s crib –
yesterday’s love
swept down open drains
Tomorrow, in the oven…
a love child
Mama’s heartbreak,
Papa’s dishrag.
The hand that cuts a
cord… slowly kills a
child. A life, a mere parting
glass of dreams…