Dad Worries

Adam Uhrig

 

Dad folds his fingers
dirt and dried blood outline calluses
open sores on his legs and feet tell me
he hasn’t been wearing his socks
crawling when no one is looking

dad worries too much
his knees knock and shake and his teeth
grind as he stutters
he’ll be out soon
he always rebounds

dad is in the hospital again
the nurses smile at his charm and wit
they bring him baked goods and fish magazines
he said he would give up everything to live
in a home so he wouldn’t inconvenience us

“No one visits me” he says
my brother reminds me
I lose focus in school, forgetting
that no one has visited him
“not even the Mormons”