go to sleep
go to sleep
suppose you were one of charlie manson's parents
and everyone knew it
you go to buy groceries
and everyone stares at you
you get anonymous letters asking
"when's charlie coming home?
we have a surprise for him."
maybe you tell everyone that you aren't really related
but then the mailman tells them that charlie writes everyday
the letters have s.w.a.k. in a scrawl
on the backs of the envelopes
when you sleep
you have dreams on a split screen
on one half
young charlie, wearing blue shorts
and bringing home his first report card
it could even be straight a's
the other half of the dream
you are running out of the house
charlie is chasing you
he has blood on his fingers
and a knife in his teeth
so being one of charlie's parents
sometimes you get letters from the parents
of the children that moved in with charlie
they ask how and why
but not really how or why anything
just questions in vague terms
no matter where you go
you think people are staring
and you know that you've done nothing wrong
but you can hear whispers
always whispers
it's ok
you can wake up now
charlie was an orphan
or close to it
he did what he had to
what he was always going to
just like you
Copyright © michael dennis / Ordinary Press 1982
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