Winter Break
By: Adrian Molitor

as a boy, I thought that sometimes, frozen lakes must smile from shore
to stream, thawing into the earthed marrow, winter had ended stepdad
really had a way, breaking the bones of our beliefs, he was the drunkest
sweetheart in the neighborhood, christmas day had passed early,
promises in my house not regarded as gospel

funneled through that liars lips, smoke rang, his language, I sat stooped
looking up at a view of the factories, making ends meet
that factory held us up, by our atoms apple, kids at school called me

White trash, we once lived out of 13-gallon white trash bags, I packed
my own lunch in the 3rd grade, a snowball in each pocket
like, say it again

ma never built happy homes, on steam plates, of flap jacks, we sure did
have plenty portions of, no I will not buy you one hundred dollar
sneakers I left out the house that way to smoke a smoke in the local food
court, those ashtrays were trashcan sized

we stayed there digging for buried treasure, our pesky kid fingers
frisked and pecked away, in the black sand for shorts to roll
we loved to ride the metro home, knowing better than to get off early,
last time Mack and those guys beat our asses black and blue

didn’t kick us in the ribs yet though, us kids were all heart, minds like tourist traps,
That winter I bought my first cassette tape, stole the next three.