The Works

She was three
or four years old
running around
on a dirty carpet
in a room
filled with pot smoke
playing with broken toys
showing off for the grown ups

He'd say
go get daddy's works
in that sing song voice
grown ups use
when talking to kids
and she'd scamper off
into the other room

She'd watch him
shoot up
in that careful way
that kids have

She would be
around forty now
with kids of her own