Mr. Rogers is Flipping You Off
       

Mr. Rogers puts his pants on one leg
at a time like everyone else. On TV
he's already wearing pants. He dons
his shoes and sweater as if he's about
to leave for work, but his work is to stay
and play with puppets and the train set
your father gave you last year and hasn't
had time to set up. Mr. Rogers is using
his degree in music composition to teach
you how to count. He counts the middle
finger of his right hand without irony like
your father in church, pointing to the Bible
verse he wants you to memorize. You
comply, though your understanding's hazy,
the caption on your drawing: "do not
comet adultery." The man and woman
in the movie today about the end
of the world have managed not to love
each other until now. Icy bodies hurtling
to earth and they are running out of time.
Never enough time to love and be loved.

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Copyright © 2016 Marci Rae Johnson All rights reserved
from Basic Disaster Supplies Kit
Steel Toe Books
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission