P.D. Adkins, “My Father-In-Law”

Sue me.  I’m his anti-,

his flip-side.

Where he raised a fist,

I tussle hair.

He charged through the house,

screaming for his children.

We re-create The Wild Things

every tickle fight.

Neighbors shake their heads.

My kids and I play hide and seek

at ten p.m. on school nights.

They want a coke,

I buy it.

Any tears,

and everything stops.

In this way, he and I

are the same — .

with us

there is

no swerving.

Paul David Adkins grew up in South Florida and lives in New York.

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