Welcome to Poetically Yours. Poetically Yours showcases poems by northern Illinois poets. This week's featured artist is Jody 'padumachitta' Goch.
Goch is from Canada but currently lives in the German Black Forest. Her poems and stories are published on platforms like Wild Word, Co-Op Poetry and a few other places. She writes poetry and short fiction, chops wood for the stove, wanderers and meditates in the forest. Her jeans and shirt pockets are full of stories and poetry. It’s hell on the washing machine. She rescued a short story, from the lint catcher and it was published in an anthology. Since then, Jody checks even when there’s no laundry.
This poem is called "Doggone."
Mom kept the vodka in the toilet tank
Not to hide it
To keep it cold
Least wise that's what she said
Who was I to question
Dad kept a handgun in his desk drawer
Not to hide it
But so it was handy
Least wise that’s what he said
Who was I to ask
The vodka bottle had no label
The gun had no serial number
The label had soaked off
The number was filed off
Little things to remember
When the teacher asked questions
About long sleeves in summer
Or why my brother had fainting fits
I wasn’t one to offer up much
Since I was the only girl
And life on this planet
Was a tenuous place for me
Who was I anyway
In the midst of their chaos
To ask or answer much of anything
And expect anything to make sense
When they died
One brother took the vodka
One brother took the gun
I took the family dog
