That night
We stood in the cold
Thin moonlight lit your eyeglasses
Turned your eyes to bright squares.
You inhaled off your cigarette
Told me
We don’t talk about certain things.
Like that HonkeyTonk uncle
Beat with baseball bats
And your spinster aunt
Hung dead in the garage
How everyone knew her sin you said
And no one said a word.
I remember
Your cousin the nun
Her black truck
We rode in the back
Hugged pumpkins and her dog
And her secret lover
Lettie.
I know you knew about me.
You said
It’s not something we discuss.