Poem #14-2011 Family Truth

Family Truth

Some of the time – not nearly enough -
I bite the tongue of nurture.
Instead,

I disavow mother’s acerbic conditioning,
I reframe father’s dour aphorisms about growing old being “bad business,” and
I pretend brother actually saw me.
Instead,

I rely on surrogate family:
Some are flesh-and-blood,
but most are images conjured from eternal words
by inspirational authors dead and alive.

Embracing the latter,
I unleash the tongue of truth.


This poem contributed to dVersePoets Open Link Night.
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