at my wedding reception
by Justin Hyde

i cocked back
to jack my father
straight in the face

but uncle allen
grabbed me at the throat
and drug me
to the vfw restroom.

the hell you pulling?
he had two fistfuls
of my tuxedo
and slammed me
into the cement wall.

fucker tried
telling me
he loved me,

i needed that
when i was eight
or nine,

he can't just
throw that in my face
for the first time
when i'm twenty-eight.

he let go of me,

said they never the
once heard it from
their father
how the bastard
didn't even show up
to their weddings.

then he gave me
two hard gut shots
and

a pat
on the head.

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