fleas

[Cousin Kil]

EDIT:

fleas

Dogs were howling
in the hollow,
near the sill over the kitchen
sink. My dad could hear them attention-starved blueticks;
rowdy sweet dogs were howling chain-linked
and he was washing dishes with his
dad in the basin.
When dad was young,
carefully clenching the soap,
my grandpa flashed dull arms.
He asked dad if he saw the fleas.
Like black and tanned,
he’d been howling, reeling,
peeling in chips from
plastered evenings.
He’d been clinking tumblers,
sinking, asking his boy
you see the fleas? and there were none.
My grandpa washed with watered scotch
and dogs howled,
sweet and starved,
like father, fleas, son.

------------------------------------

FLEAS

Dogs were howling
in the hollow,
near the sill over the kitchen
sink, my dad could hear them attention-starved
blueticks;
rowdy sweet dogs were howling chain-linked
and he was washing dishes with his
dad in the basin
when he was young
carefully clenching the soap
grandpa flashed dull arms,
asked him if he saw the fleas on them
like black and tanned
he’d been howling, reeling,
peeling in chips from
so many plastered
nightcapped evenings
he’d been clinking tumblers, sinking,
asking his boy
you see the fleas? when there were none
grandpa washed with watered scotch and
dogs howled,
sweet and starved
like father, fleas, son

--------------------------------------

Wrote this a night ago. Beat it up.