“The farthest thing from my mind
when I’m chipping away
at the frozen layer on my driveway
on a typical February morning in Missouri
that has as much rain as snow
is to wish for more of the same.
But here I am on a ninety-six degree day
in August wading through heat waves
rising from the asphalt outside of Target
that remind me of that hospital parking lot
in Vegas after visiting Dad in early June of ’93,
his chest reopened then closed and healing,
and thinking he’d be flying home soon –
we know how that worked out –
wishing I could have one of those
ice-crusted days. Back then it was
crushed ice in his cup, relief
in what was supposed to be his recovery.
When he did come home on Father’s Day,
the gurney that rolled out of the air ambulance
held a ninety-year-old man who left
his fifty-nine-year-old self back in Vegas
and back home meant being back
in a Buffalo hospital with a glass of crushed ice.
I’d give anything to see Dad once more
holding that cup. Better yet, just one minute
working beside him at Overland Express
in the ’70s with the snow blowing
between the trailers and across the dock,
his face just as red from the cold
as it would get if he were here with me
on this hot, August Missouri day,
that thought frozen in my mind.
Copyright © 2022 Ken Gierke
All Rights Reserved
Transplanted from Western New York, Ken Gierke has lived in Missouri since 2012. His love for nature, fostered by the Niagara River, continues in Missouri and is often featured in his poetry. His writing has appeared as a micro-chapbook from Origami Poems Project, as well as in several print anthologies, including three from Vita Brevis Press and those edited by d. ellis phelps, Susi Bocks and Colleen Chesebro. His writing also has been featured online by Amethyst Review, Silver Birch Press, and the Ekphrastic Review. His poetry collection, Glass Awash, will soon be available from Spartan Press. His website: https://rivrvlogr.com/
Featured Image: Ken’s father
Editor: Barbara Harris Leonhard
Amazon Best-Selling Author
Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir (EIF-Experiments in Fiction, 2022)
Pushcart Nominee, 2022
Send Submissions to meelosmom@gmail.com
Facebook: Barbara Harris Leonhard /barbara.leonhard
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MasticadoresUsa // Editor: Barbara Leonhard 
Thank you for featuring this!
Me gustaLe gusta a 1 persona
My pleasure!
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
It’s my pleasure! A beautiful poem, Ken! The imagery of weather reveals how grief manifests with the memories of your father.
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
Truly heartfelt writing, Ken.
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
Thank you, Lisa.
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
You’re welcome.
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
I was very moved by this poem, Ken. Congratulations on its publication.
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
Thank you, Liz. I like to remember my father as someone who enjoyed the outdoors and made the most of the opportunities available to him.
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
You’re welcome, Ken.
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
This is a lovely piece and I think the holidays tend to make us think about our loved ones. A big congratulations for this lovely publication. Joni
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
Thank you. I’m thankful for all that he taught me.
Me gustaLe gusta a 1 persona
Ken,
What a heartfelt reflection. I felt pain and longing for connection in your words. Beautifully done.
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
Thank you, Ali. It’s going on 30 years, but that connection feels as strong as it did back then.
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
It sounds like you have been nurturing it.
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
I imagine this piece was written with tears in your eyes. It spills out so much love, Ken!
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
Indeed. Thank you, Susi.
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
You’re welcome, Ken!
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas