Uncle Jimmy

A snapshot of alcoholism

Uncle Jimmy

Lanky, sneaky, a file of useless facts

Equipped with headset, non-fiction book

And parliament lights in a soft package

Tall boys of malt liquor stuck in the

Inside pocket of an old jean jacket

Worn summer, winter, spring, fall

Long straws provides easy access to

The sour cheap liquid that fuels his reality

Makes his laugh a little too long his sneakiness

Convert to clumsiness

You can pretend that maybe this isn’t not OK

Until you see him fall up the stairs onto your

Baby brother in a freshly changed diaper

Learning to crawl safely up the carpeted stairs

After the perturbed cat and Jimmy falls in a slow

Drunken motion and your brother instantly

Crashes his head against the next step

Bursts into tears- the cat zips up the stairs

And hides under grandma’s bed and Uncle Jimmy

Laughs and is shocked to find that he busted open

His chin, spilling cheap malt liquor on my brother’s back

I scoop him up and hold him trying to soothe him

Grandma scolds Jimmy as he protests that he never

Even saw the cat.