my mother speaks
to those
I silence
in tongues.  confesses

she is not
an animal
person.  when drunk, she knows

to push
to the right
the stroke
ravaged
newborn.  as a word

barren
is a man’s
word.  as a thought

it’s a keeper.  if one asks

where one
beats a dog
I answer

in front of children.  it’s the question

leaves a mark
on the heart.