25 jan 2005
Remembering Johnny
by Kim Lane
Many nights...
between parents' white sheet tent
between cigarette after cigarette,
both his and my father's,
between jacks, kings, queens
astrology and jazz
at commercial break,
shadows flickered on the walls,
a backdrop to my father's laughter
to my mother's "shhhhhhh"
"Johnny's on!"
and he was
and she was
and they were
and it meant
brilliantly cautious yet loaded questions
stilted posture and a conservative shtick
exotic animals that seemed to act on cue
a fan of thin green palms behind silver
comb-overs
and mustard plaid seats,
coffee mugs, striped drapes and a crooked
smile,
my sister and I would drift between sleep
and shaken awake
by the audience's roar, the Ed McMahon
growl
between the dance of the risqué and
the squeaky clean humor
"Why are they laughing, Dad?"
"Never mind, go to sleep"
He
packed a tight suitcase.
G'Night, Johnny.
Kim Lane is the
editor of the award-winning site, AustinMama.com.
She works, lives, wrangles kids and frequently
writes
poetry
in Austin, Texas. Contact her at kim@austinmama.com |
