WHEN GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS BORN
THEY HAD A PARTY
CHOPPED DOWN A CHERRY TREE
DID ALL OTHER KINDS OF GOOD STUFF
BUT WHEN I CAME ALONG
MY OWN MOTHER DIDN’T KNOW I WAS HERE
SHE WAS ASLEEP
SO I HAD TO COME IN BY MYSELF
SURE, NOBODY PROMISED ME A ROSE GARDEN
BUT, I JUST WANTED AT LEAST A SEED TO GROW
SOMEPLACE THAT SAID
“HEY, HERE I AM, AND I WAS PLANTED BY WHAT’S HIS NAME.”
WHEN MY FATHER DIED
HE LOOKED IN MY FACE LIKE A SPARROW
HE MOVED ME SO MUCH
BUT
MY BOYS WERE THERE
AND I WAS TOO PROUD TO CRY
BUT
I KEPT HIS PICTURE UPON WHICH HE HAD WRITTEN
A FEW WORDS JUST BEFORE HE PASSED
HAD TUCKED IT INSIDE MY SHIRT
AND WHEN HE CLOSED HIS EYES,
MY MOTHER CAME INTO THE ROOM CRYING
MY SISTER THREW UP
I
WENT INTO THE BATHROOM
AND CLOSED THE DOOR
TOOK THE PICTURE OUT AND LOOKED ON THE BACK
AND IT SAID, “BOY, I LOVE YOU AND YOUR SISTER
I NEVER LOVED YOUR MOMMA
I NEVER LOVED MUCH ELSE IN MY WHOLE LIFE
BUT I LOVE YOU.”
TEARS TOOK ME
I TURNED ON THE FAUCETS SO MY UNCLES WOULDN’T HEAR ME
BUT I THINK THEY KNEW BECAUSE
WHEN I CAME OUT
UNCLE ALBERT PUT HIS ARMS AROUND ME
AND HE HELD ME SO TIGHT
THAT I THOUGHT
I WOULD NEVER LET HIM GO.

BILL DUKE

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