the old man kept talking of this great love now gone…passed in the spring with snow and ice…just…rambled-on about this woman…

she never wanted anything for herself, Dad said…rocking in the Lazyboy,…wantin’ to keep her family happy…that’s all…, i listened…kept quiet…unloading dishes…plates…old silverware…

mom said you’d end-up back here, the old man looked-out a front-window…streetlights coming-on, all that galavantin’ ’round for nothin’…where all d’ya go…

all-over pop…everywhere…

well…she was right…gotcha nothin’…, he chuckled, what d’ya prove…

nothing Dad, rubbed my eyes,…nothing…,a butcher’s knife was put away…placed with other sharp objects…thoughts…

‘member the time you ran away…clear out to Los Angeles…what a screwball thing to do that was…, kept looking out the window…never at me…

mom said…why’d he go and do that for…, the old man started laughing again…,always wondered ’bout you…always…the prodigal son…

yes pop…right…, cabinet doors now closed…stuff hidden…

she always said d’ya end-up right back here…boy oh boy could she call ’em…

sure pop…sure…,i placed the house-keys in a fake-crystal bowl on the T.V. stand…one of those five-and-dime specials…opened the door…

hey…where ‘ya goin’…

for a walk pop…just a walk…

I see…

goodbye Dad…