My Dad

My dad was an American
A patriot
a veteran
a blue-collar kid who grew up
in the heart of Manhattan
who defended the unions
Especially after Reaganomics
and even after the accident

My dad was a father
a husband
a brother
a limousine driver later
who ate books like food
who loved his wife and
children like men do on
black and white tv

My dad had a genius IQ
untapped as it were
malnourished brilliance
evolves differently
unavailable to society
it spilled all over us
it's bloomed and blooms in ways
we only get to learn now, today