Corrosion
cherry-dark oak
harsh tungsten light
tabasco on the table
smile for your dad,
says a man two booths over
mugful of toothy grin
a grin like Candy’s
the rust-colored Nogales mutt
that knew how to wink
still you had to put
the trash bin on the table
else she’d find a way
Candy who was put down
when you were young
though you don’t remember
but know it happened
among other things
you don’t remember
but know that happened
a junkyard full
of rust-covered histories