I had a plan for today
A brilliant synopsis of my month’s work
A peek through the keyhole of my colossal plan

My nephew died today
Not today, I found out today
He lay two days dead
Til his sister found him
Today yesterday

He had no chance in his life
Where the Midwest ends
His dad a gutter drunk selling used cars
His mom hebephrenic
Truly an organic dysfunction

We tried to help once and visited unannounced
Dad was long gone away to another
Nothing had been removed from the house
In two years nothing

We moved and brought them
Another feeble temporary attempt to help
But they moved out, then sneaked away
Back to their familiar hell

Difficult to grow up and fit in with
Zero dad and crazy mom and a missing uncle too
And Marfan Syndrome
So tall with heart so bad
He couldn’t carry a laptop

I heard he had been doing well in rehab
From someone who tried harder than me
Obvious now not well enough
I will say nothing more but
Refer you to the last verse
of my poem
Manifesto Pt. 5
FUG