One by one, we hung up
the jerseys, placed them under
the mantle like stockings,
allowed ourselves the childish hope
that they had some magic in them.
One by one, we set out tiger-striped
trinkets, put on our ball caps
and loud orange pants,
prayed for such little things as
completions, conversions, touchdowns.
Then one by one, the grown men
turned, stopped, splintered, broke:
became littl...
I worship these wild summers
with you, hold them like a treasure,
open my mouth and drink in
the lazy hours that uncoil like
gold ribbons, the peach tea sun.
But I want your fall, your first frost—
want to be there in the worst
of your winters. For you, I will
hold fast the doors, for you,
I will tend even the smallest fire
on even the coldest hearth.
And I will wait. Because
as much as I love...
“So that’s it?”
But he wouldn’t answer, and Garret couldn’t bring himself to ask the usual follow-ups. Can’t we talk about this? Can’t I have a chance to be better? Can’t you just say it—say it out loud—say that you don’t love me anymore?
Under normal circumstances, he would ask. He would push. Under normal circumstances, the guilt trips and veiled accusations would well up and spill out of his ...
Colorado is opening like a lotus when we leave it
San Juans snake by, and we tug our little trailer behind,
Jeep huffing like an ancient steam engine.
Provo trains a magnifying glass on us,
Boise gathers clouds like cotton balls, but
July chases us into corners and under trees.
Oregon leaves teethmarks in the 19-foot
Flagstaff trailer we put our last dollar into, and
Peter damn near quits on us. ...
And it is nothing like what he expects. Knuckle cracks against cheek bone, and the force of it splits through his body, like how lightning rends a tree. Instinctively, he extends his hands to catch the floor. He rests there for a moment, refuses to look back. He cannot believe that this man is his father.
He lifts his gaze to confirm this thing he cannot believe. The man steps closer, and Rory i...
