Page 21 - Contrast1978Marchv21n2

The housekeeper, Nrs. Sporline,
would stand .behind old Duncanat the table
and rub ioecubes on hi.s ba1d head.
Bis ~yes danced,
stiff fingers scissored.
and be choked out; a gutter laugh.

Ga.ddy, Duncan, and I

WOuld go out and sit under the trees
for an after-dinner waste of time.
Two fat toads stuffed on a bench
humping each other as th€y chuckl~.
One chaw.ing and spitting,
t:.he other smoking and coughing ,
and I stretched out in the grass.

They would kid each other about shorts.
not being able to g'e·t.itup any morel
which always l.ed to Gaddy's tale
about driving his ri.g and wearing silk
He con.ld keep it hard all day
just fromtbe jolt of the cab
and r.he rub of the .sill.
They would laugh the same laugh.

We 'WOuld sit out there
th.rough two of Duncan's ciqarettes
or until Old Lady Bixler
started tapping on her second floor windO'lll,
and fusSing through the q1.as.s.
Duncan~ the night watchman,
WOuld shuffle back to bed I
and Gaddy and I would wander hack to the shop
to sit on stools and prop our feet up.

-Chris Holmes

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