Confessions of a Troubled Youth


I stole a Cutlass Supreme when
I was sixteen, drove it to the coast,
torched it on the side of the highway.

I could feel the heat on my back
as I walked away, see the flames
as they rose higher into the night.

Why did I do it? You might ask.
Because no one asked me not to.



(C) 2010 James Eric Watkins

Happy Father's Day

to those still with us . . . .

and to those who watch over us.

I will never forget the face of my father.

Summertime Suppers

Summertime Suppers


thick-cut tomatoes
pickles, onions, buns,
baked beans and ballparks
burgers bursting with hot juice
on the back decks, by the poolsides of our lives

with blackened grill marks
searing the surface of our summertime suppers

with family and friends,
red plastic cups
and
paper plates.



(c) 2010 James Eric Watkins