Because I am not the youngest
and older than the others

I will be the one who must remember
the greatest part
most accurately

the meaning of our parent’s secret glances
and the soft confessions
of guilt for being too often left alone.

I’m not allowed to forget
how our father
tried to put things back together
by literally putting things together

the pride of his rehab clock
knocked to the floor
just after completion

telling awkward time in crestfallen numbers.

—
Richard King Perkins II is a state-sponsored advocate for residents in long-term care facilities. He lives in Crystal Lake, IL with his wife Vickie and daughter Sage. He is a three-time Pushcart nominee and a Best of the Net nominee. He was recently a finalist in The Rash Awards and a top ten finisher in the Writer’s Digest poetry competition. His poem “Distillery of the Sun” was awarded second place in the 2014 Bacopa Literary Review poetry contest.