Terry Stokes
UNTITLED
"There were woods in the back, and on one
side of the house. Therefore, it was a happy childhood"
It was a cold childhood surrounded by
all those lousy trees. My father
lived in the midwest; he moved in a hurry
just before I was born.
It was the only job available. My mother
carried me,
&
she wanted to see
what kind of stuff he was made of. My mother
&
I stayed around for two months, crying
most of the time. My father thought
about suicide.
It
didn ' t make
for a pleasing two o 'clock feeding.
I didn't miss him eventhough I suppose
I was supposed to. My mother wanted him
to disappear from the face of the earth.
So, she brought me to this town without a river,
but there are plenty of serene trees.
My fathers pop in
&
out like groundhogs.
They smile at me; they bring me things
to toy with . They want my mother, of course,
&
they get her. My first father
