Genealogy of emptiness

The only advice

my father

ever gave me was

to never be

a father.

*

My father taught me

how to be a writer

by pounding away at something

unformed and useless

until it stops quivering

and bleeding

and sits still, waits,

listening to the quiet

of ideas.

He knew what he knew,

which is great,

because a writer writes only what they

know too.

I am happy he was

consistent

with his indents.

*

I told my father

that I wrote a poem

about him

and he said

oh

while the television

moaned about some war

in the other room

and displayed some bodies

who would not learn

who won.