It's Still Life

Just Cousins

We packed the car so nothing would rattle,
that sort of thing set Dad’s teeth on edge,
and we headed for our vacation. The lake.

The lake, where you and I would go to hide
from the little ones who wanted to stick
to us like ceiling paint, where you’d drink

beer, and I drank grape Nehi from an ice
cold bottle, and you said that Auntie Jean
and Uncle Dom we’re actually cousins,

and that your mom said that it was a sin
for cousins to marry, which was why they
couldn’t have any babies. And that night

I asked my mother if it was true about
Auntie Jean and Uncle Dom, and she said,
“Well, not really. They’re second cousins.”

And I said something thoughtful, like, Huh?
so she drew me a tree-like-map explaining it.

The next day I had a sip of your beer,
and said, “You’re are so full of shit,” and
you said you were just clowning around —
it was a clean slate with your own face on.

For dVerse’s prompt “Clowning Around” “A clean slate, with your own face on” a line from “You’re” by Sylvia Plath, and using the word “clown”, plus Twiglet #190 “Packed in Cars”  © Misky 2020. The image is from WikiArt.

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