lost mail

he told his Maw lost mail

                              may have said  lost male

she wondered

                 thought he was thatlost since a young boy

                                                                 then he called it an epiphany

called it that

               because Mr Wappler did an acclaimed Chicago artist on his paper route

delivered him the Trib Sun-Times seven days a week cut the grassboth lots raked the leaves shoveled the snow walks up to the front door steps alongside the house the public sidewalk the long drive to the garage at the back of the house even though Mr Wappler didnt drive his car  took the bus  he Mrs Wappler took public transportation everywhere

Mr Wappler called it an epiphany

    his Maw had to look it up in Websters Dictionary

                                                         “a moment of sudden revelation, insight.”

You’re nine years old. A revelation? An insight?

                                                   What do you know?

I know when I growupwhen Im on my own I wont live here

    Mighty big words, mighty grand thought, boy.

Watch me

            raised his voice to her

she was awfully tempted to wash his mouth out with Fels-Naptha laundry soap

                                                                                     but something stilled her feet quieted the itch in her hands that she usually worked outcracked him with a belt a shaving strop a switch

the laundry was in the basement steepsteps down why she made him carry the basketloads

she needed both hands near the railings in case she slipped

he was a Grand Canyon mule a Big Horn sheep

                                                    be lookingup over his shoulder talking to her as they descended

You think so?

I don think

               I am

 

she called him when the longmissing letter arrived

everyone agreed he had not atrocious printing   florid

                                                           teased he should have been a tagger or a physician

You won’t believe it. It went to China.

                                          but in the same breath she seriously wondered if maybe he hadnt mailed it from China

    she saw him once a year for a week

who knew where he really was

                                  half the time he didnt know

he was nebulous  amoebic

                               catchya catchya cant

2018,  Sunday,  12  10. 25

Gotye (featuring Kimbra)  Somebody That I Used To Know  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UVNT4wvIGY