Is my dad\u2019s hand my dad\u2019s hand?
Does he know it is his hand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I bring him a coffee
and he picks it up with his hand<\/p>\n\n\n\n
does he know it is his coffee
when it is in his mouth?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Are the family photos of his family?
When he wakes up wandering the halls<\/p>\n\n\n\n
asking where the bathroom is
and he is brought back to his room<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and ushered into the bathroom,
is it his bathroom? When I reach<\/p>\n\n\n\n
for my father\u2019s hand, it is not to hold it. When I feel how much looser his grip The plate in front of him, is it his food? is it his life? When I sit next to him of his children, they must be his children. and says That\u2019s nice. I\u2019m glad you came.<\/em> It becomes his name. He rolls it around It is a good name, his name. His hand could be called withered has nothing to do with his hand. an understanding of my name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wheeler Light<\/em><\/strong> received his MFA in writing poetry from University of Virginia and lives in Denver, CO. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in <\/em>New England Review, Western Humanities Review, Inscape, and <\/em>Rattle, among other publications. You can find his work at <\/em>www.wheelerlight.net<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Is my dad\u2019s hand my dad\u2019s hand?Does he know it is his hand? When I bring him a coffeeand he picks it up with his hand does he know it is his coffeewhen it is in his mouth? Are the family photos of his family?When he wakes up wandering the halls asking where the bathroom … <\/p>\n
I tell him to Squeeze<\/em> and he squeezes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
has got, I ask if he has been eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I remind him of his life story,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
on his twin bed showing him photos<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I tell him I am his child, he nods<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When he asks my name, I give him my name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
in his mouth. W-h-e-e-l-e-r<\/em> he breathes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hold his hand while he says my name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
while I hold it. Holding his hand<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Holding my father\u2019s hand is largely<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n