must be an acquired skill.
 
 He never even asked
 
 if I’d gotten high before my little
 
 Albuquerque adventure.
 
 Never asked if I enjoyed
 
 spending time with the monster.
 
 He only wanted to know if Buddy
 
 and I had done the dirty, perhaps right there
 
 between his own disgusting sheets.
 
 His question reeked
 
 of voyeurism.
 
 And he accepted my negative answer
 
 with a smile that meant
 
 he didn’t believe a word.
 
 I wondered if Mom
 
 would have.
 
 Dad Went Out
 
 Left me
 
 to
 
 fret
 
 to
 
 stress
 
 to
 
 cry
 
 to
 
 choke
 
 on
 
 emotion
 
 and
 
 great