'To Santa Claus and Little Sisters'

Once 
on yellow paper, with green lines, he wrote a 
poem and called it "Chops" 
because that was the name of his dog and 
that's what it was all about, 
and the teacher gave him an "A" 
and a gold star 
and his mother hung it on the kitchen door and 
read it to all his aunts 

That was the year his little sister was born 
with tiny toenails and no hair, and Father 
Tracey took them to the zoo 
and let them sing on the bus, 
and his father and mother kissed a lot 
and the girl around the corner sent him a 
Christmas card signed with a 
row of kisses 
and his father always tucked him in at night 
and he was always there to do it. 

Once 
on white paper, with blue lines, he wrote 
another poem 
and he called it "Autumn" 
because that was the name of the season 
and that's what it was about 
and the teacher gave him an "A" 
and told him to write more clearly 
and his mother didn't hang it on the kitchen 
door because the door had 
just been painted. 

That was the year that his sister got glasses 
with black frames and thick lenses 
and the kids told him why his mother and 
father kissed a lot 
and that Father Tracy smoked cigars and left 
the butts on the pews 
and the girl round the corner laughed when he 
went to see Santa Claus 
at Woolworths 
and his father stopped tucking him in at bed 
at night and got mad when he 
cried for him to 

Once 
on paper torn from his notebook, he wrote 
another poem 
and he called it "Question Marked Innocence" 
because that was the name of his grief and 
that's what it was all about 
and the professor gave him an "A" 
and a strange and steady look 
and his mother never hung it in the kitchen 
door because he never let her see it 

That was the year he found his sister necking 
in the back room 
and his parents never kissed or even smiled 
and he forgot the end of the Apostles Creed 
and Father Tracey 
died 
and the girl around the corner wore too much 
make up 
and made him cough 
when he kissed her, but he kissed her anyway 

Once 
at 3am he tucked himself in bed, his father 
snoring loudly 
he tried another poem on the back of a pack 
of matches 
and called it absolutely nothing, because that's 
what it was all about 
and he gave himself an "A" 
and a slash on each damp wrist 
and hung it on the bathroom door because 
he couldn't reach the kitchen. 

Anon