Richard H. Fox

Chemo Brain

Lost in the grocery store you've shopped in

since you pushed a cart for your Mama? Have

a cup of Peppermint Tea, the red box on the

shelf opposite your belt buckle. Leave your

pants alone, grab a couple of bags, stumble

four aisles left to the household articles,

choose a ceramic mug, #1 DAD or I’M GETTING

TOO OLD FOR THIS SHIT or I FART WHAT’S YOUR

SUPERPOWER? Next to the pharmacy is a water

dispenser with twin taps: boiling and cold.

Put the tea bags in your mug, tags over the

rim. Fill with your preference but hot must

be best because you are shivering suddenly.

Suppose shopping is a spoiled idea when you

wanderlust for two hours to fill a thirteen

item list. Perhaps you should sit down here

on the floor til your wife can pick you up.

A recent National Geographic survey indicates that eleven per cent of the young people in this country can't locate the United States on a map

three floors in this old wood house

our rooms are on the first

I can climb out my window day or night

stay in the shadows   sneak out to Shepherd Street

can always tell that road   sidewalks have lumps

Ma says they're from frost but they last all year

if I go right at the dead chestnut tree

that's Doyle Road   most times a traffic jam

horns and sirens all night   Doyle has a new walk  

all black tar   hot in summer   follow it

four blocks   past Greensboro Ames Columbus

to Calvin with the boarded up mansion on the corner

some say it's haunted but I spent a night there

didn't see no ghosts but smelled a lot of pee

Calvin Road has cracks in its sidewalks

sometimes I jump 'em   other times step on 'em all  

go past Hilliard Avenue and Haines Alley

come to my school   yellow brick walls

windows that don't open   playground has broke rides

next right is Macmillan   fire station as I turn

new concrete walkway 'cause of firetrucks

halfway up the block are my cement hand prints

in front of Stacy's pink house   so she'll see 'em

every time she walks to school or gets the bus

take Macmillan past Columbus Ames Greensboro

back to Shepherd   has a gas street light

next to the sign   light winks   STOP sign has no P

walk by seven three deckers   back to my window

when Ma is pissed at me she locks it then the door  

I keep an old mattress and pillow under the stoop

found them one trash day

CP

Richard H. Fox was born and bred in Worcester MA. He attended Webster University, as much artist colony as college, in the early 1970s. These diverse cultures shaped his world view and love of words. He is a former President of Poetry Oasis, Inc., a non-profit poetry association dedicated to education and promoting local poets, and was Managing Editor of its journal Diner. He has been published  in The Boston Literary Magazine, OVS, Sahara, Midstream Magazine, and other fine places. His book Time Bomb was published in September 2013.