Dysfunctional Families, Murder, and Dead People.

Picture of a Tree

Today the hands stopped,
and Rollin dismembered that old clock
and tossed it outside.

Its picture lingered
on the mantle above the fireplace

next to the dusty glass cat
and the picture of Johnny;

he was locked in the basement,
or the closet.
We didn't know where,
but he's been there for over an hour.
Daddy, home early with an axe.
He said, "It's sick."
It creaked and cracked every night
with its restless sigh,

but Adeline liked the cherry tree,
so she took a picture before it died
and taped it to her window
so it would stand next to
the drawing of angry Rollin
every morning.
The next day "Johnny ran away"
Daddy said;

Adeline glued the picture
to her teddy bear,
and hid it in the closet.

This is Johnny now.

Rollin stripped the picture
of the clock from the mantle
and buried it next to the picture of mother.

Published in the Oregon City Digest.