Luis was lured from the chicken coup
by a cold lunch meat sandwich
Luis who knew nothing of clothes or care
nor when to eat  
nor what to do
nor who to love
Nor how to plead
nor what to say

Where does love go...

Sweet love...?

...for the boy
...become man
"mentally deficient"
of a Mom
"mentally deficient"

confined to the scraps...
in that hospital
of days...
such as they were
of cold and lack
of anything approaching care
____

At a group home at last
with what was allotted, allowed
in a room of his own
A record by Patsy
played over and over and over again--

“Crazy, I'm crazy for feeling so lonely
I'm crazy, crazy for feeling so blue”

Why might-- your little heart be so broken?
Till the Sunlight came
in the woman
"The Mommy "
of dinners
and Christmas
and music
and showers and bedtime
Dropping your pants in the bank for attention of--
"Mommy"
whose scoldings you craved
whose lap was a pillow
for flicking your ear lobe
to smiles and giggles and singing
so desperately missed as she washed the dishes--

"Mommy"

of part time and sometime
of someone
who loved you
a while
while she could
in the aching of life

For what it meant for a minute
to Luis--
a lifetime of love in your voice
that the angels of heaven could never replace
so they envy
so you go
so she comes
to you Luis
a gift
of the God
who could never forget you

“I'm crazy for trying and crazy for crying
And I'm crazy for loving you”  


To my daughter Phoebe, the bright and shiny one, for the time she gave in this group home.

Lyrics by Patsy Cline