he could make out her words despite her talking through a stuffed mouth

                                                                              This meat is huge.

No bigger than mine love

I’m not as big as you.

                       You’re meat’s huge too.

Thank you  he laughed

                             You know honey everything is big in the eyes of a child But you keep those eyes baby try an keep them your whole life if you can try an keep the wonder the amazement

chewing  she smiled at him

                               as she chewed she rocked in the chair jerked her legs under the table

he could hear the haunt

                           Why can’t he sit still? What’s the matter with him?

What’s the matter with you, boy?

he didnt stop

his parents took his plate away

                                   When you can stop with that nonsense you can eat.

politely May I be excused

   Go.

        his food was divvied out to the other children

May I go outside an wait there until I have to wash the dishes

Go.

     their tone he was irritating them  Stay in the backyard.

I will Thank you

he went out through the backporch went down the steps crossed over to the leaning wood garage which leaned so badly his father didnt park his car inside it hadnt in years

he went into a cardboard box  it had vegetables he hocked from neighbours gardens apples pears from trees he shimmied up he kept a cooler with ice holding rabbits squirrels rats he killed with a slingshot dressed out roasted on a spit in prairie lots around the developing neighbourhood

his parents could deny him their dinner

                                          but hed eat

he enjoyed her unbridled exuberance its pure hugeness

he wished his chair had taller legs so he could dance with her dance to her music her umms hmms as she chewed

Monday – Memorial Day,  26  5. 08

1442,  Reggefriday – Nagasaki 1945,  9  8. 24