"once on a yellow piece of paper,he wrote a poemand he called it "chops"because that was the name of his dog.and that's what it was aboutand his teacher gave him an Aand a gold starand his mother hung it on he doorand read it to his auntsthat was the year father tracytook all the kids to the zooand let them sing on the busthat was the year his little sister was bornwith tiny toenails and no hairand his mother and father kissed a lot" and the girl around the corner sent him avalentine signed with a row of x'sand he had to ask his father what the x's meantand his father always tucked him in at nightand was always there to do itonce on a piece of white paper with blue lineshe wrote a poem called "autumn"because that was the name of the seasonsnd that's what it was all aboutand his teacher gave him an Aand asked him to write more clearlyand his mother never hung it on the kitchen doorbecause of its new paintand the kids told himthat father tracy smoked cigarsand left butts on the pewsand sometimes they would burn holesthat was the year his sister got glasseswith thick lenses and black framesand the girl around the corner laughedwhen he asked her to go see santa clausand the kids told him whyhis mother and father kissed a lotand his father never tucked him in at nightand got madwhen he cried for him to do itonce on a piece of paper torn from his notebookhe wrote a poemcalled "innocence; a question"because that was the question about his girland that's what is was all aboutand his professor gave him an Aand a strange steady lookand his mother never hung it on the kitchen doorbecaue he never showed herthat was the year that father tracy diedand he forgot how the endof apostle's creed wentand he caught his sistermaking out on the back porchand his mother and father never kissedor even talkedand the girl around the cornerwore too much makeupthat made him cough when he kissed herbut he kissed her anywaybecause that was the thing to doand at three a.m he tucked himself into bedhis father snoring soundlythat's why on the back of a brown paper baghe tried another poemand he called it "absolutely nothing"becaue that's what it was really aboutand he gave himself an Aand a slash on each damned wristand he hung it on that bathroom doorbecause he didn't thinkhe could reach the kitchen