Teddy & Alvin & the be-pimpled Giant
Alvin was wiry prison-wiry how would i have known this
at 9? there is a leftover danger about some people a smell
mustyripe +deadeyed
Father brought him home from the racetrack how did he
miss that? Alvin slept in our basement +could easily have
murdered our family or molested me
i was often alone with him as he pumped iron halfnaked
did you have such visitors at 9? then there was Teddy an
older man without teeth quite sweet he lived in the stalls
nuzzled up against steaming horses he had the dignity of
a FisherKing always smiling +threadbare i visited often in
said basement left oreos cold brisket +the Diary of Anne Frank
you see Ted was quite lonely he whispered sweet nothings as
i sat on his knee english not his first language all nods+arcane
handsignals a munchkin vibe for sure
then there was the ravine pure magic with giants a dead
grandfather +one matricidal child maniac now serving life
in the asylum next door Jerry can you hear me?
the Giant lived in a burned-out shack ungainly+pimpled quite
Quasimodo he visited me often in the weewee hours my screams
piercing suburban nights oh he was a taskmaster alright!
swore me to secrecy
no doubt you had
Giant visitations
too
__
Winter 2025 …
songanddancegirl 