Right hand
Absently
Caressing
The
Remains
Of your
Heart,
You
Watch
Them
Unpack
Their
Shit,
Easy
Banter
Concealing
Tension.

He reaches
For her,
She pulls
Away.
Typical,
Just like
Mom,
As in:
"Come here,
Tate, honey,
Gimme sugar…"
When it's
Not,
"Go away,
Tate,
You disgust
Me!"

(Dumbass
Adults!)

The
Daughter's
Pretty.
Kinda.
Bitchy,
Though…

(Probably
Stupid…)

No.
Wait.
Books.
She has
Books…
Lots of
Books…
Not
"Elle"
Or
"Vogue",
But real
Books!

Excited,
You
Sit on
Her bed,
Watching
Her shelve
Them,
Casually
Pocketing
A Doll's
House.

(Shitty taste
In music,
Though.)

You wander
Through
Your prison,
Driving
Off the
Asshole
Twins
And their
Party Poppers-
You might
Have to
Kick the
Shit out of
Them again…

You pause
In the parlor,
Watching
Chad root
Disdainfully
Through
The
Wife's
Stuff
As
Patrick's
Eyes
Linger
On you…

Removing
Your hand
From your
Chest,
You grin,
Giving
Good ol'
Patsy-boy
A brazen
Bloody-handed
Middle-fingered
Salute
In passing
Before
Snagging
A fresh
Pack of
Razor blades
From the
Upstairs
Bathroom.

(It's been
A while…)

The
One-eyed
Old bitch
With the
Faded red
Hair
Scowls
At you,
Disapprovingly
As she
Stands
Beside
The wife
As she
Puts dishes
In the
Cupboards.

(Grinning,
You drink
The wife's
Coffee
Because
You can.)

iPod blasting,
The daughter
Unconsciously
Swerves
Around
You in the
Front hall,
Dustmop dog
In her arms
For walkies.
You wave
Off the
Two nurses
And the
Black Dahlia
In all their
Gross glory-
These new people
Are interesting,
You don't want
Them gone
Too soon.

You pause
Outside
The study,
The man,
A shrink,
Puts away
His books,
You sit
Cross-legged
On his desk,
Pocketing
His lighter,
Before
Casually
Tipping
A stack
Of books
Onto the floor –
Just because.

The wife
Walks
Past with
A cello-
Wonder if
If she's
Any good.

(Don't want
To be
Trapped
With that
Kinda
Lame shit!)

The
Daughter
Walks
Through you,
As you
Mooch
Around
The kitchen
After dinner.

You
Laugh.

She turns,
Fast,
Sees nothing,
And keeps going,
Drink in
Hand.

You follow her
Up the stairs
And
Back down,
Because she
Forgot her
Book.

(Lame!)

Slouching
Down the
Hall,
You sit down
In the study,
One foot
Swinging,
Watching
The new owner
Arrange
His
Appointment
Schedule-
He looks
A lot like
What you
Remember of
Your dad…

(Asshole!)

Sliding
Onto
The floor
Beside his
Desk,
You rock
Back and
Forth,
Hand idly
Exploring
Rough bone,
Powder burns,
And
Torn
Cartilage…

Mom
Says she'll
Pay for
You to
See him.

(Maybe
He'd help
You get
Your shit
Together?)

You told
Her to go
To Hell!

(But now
That you've
Met the
Dude,
He seems…
…O.K.)

Fingers
Pausing
You
Absently
Pull
Out a
Bullet,
Giving it
A blank
Stare
Before
Tossing
It into
The
Waste
Basket
Beside
The desk.

The man
Jumps,
Just a little.

You'll let
Addy in
Tonight –
See how he
Reacts
To her,
And then
Make up
Your mind
From there
About
Mom's
Unwanted
Peace
Offering.