you can't reach
in the thicket
of butler county pennsylvania
without a grownup's hardened skin
at
least that's what
my
dad's second wifewould say
and then she'd say
don't worry
there are bigger worries
in this world
like
when the mccarthy committee thought police
served
a subpoena on my dadat 3am on the darkest night
in 1953
and
he didn't bow
and
he didn't talk
and
denim long sleeves
became my shield
---
e b bortz