My Siblings' Father

MY SIBLINGS' FATHER JUDGE BURDON other children feared monsters under their bed i feared the one living under our roof. his hair was nimbus black with a storm's thunder in his voice. his fists were freight train brown ball bearing knuckles frostbite blue was his touch with empty icebox eyes his smile untrusted growling words spoken like tangled spaghetti he was my mother's husband my siblings' father a childhood of baseballs never thrown bruises and shattered bones medicated with lies happiness diluted with tears in a house with screams undetected when asked what i wanted to be i testified "far from here" now, fiber optic home front news faceless words cancer eating away at your life with the fury of a piranha your disease now my champion fighting with the courage i was unable to muster your epitaph written in my adolescence while plotting your midnight homicide again you leave unaccountable for your actions i'm left to wrestle with the demons not the strenght to forgive my memory too scarred to forget i'll keep the battle lines drawn your monument let the puzzle piece fall where it may good bye old man you'll be missed like a pit vipers bite your pain can no longer touch me from the grave.