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                                              Torch
                                      by Will Dockery


  Planting plum trees
  Pops was squatting patting the dirt,
  from a row of small plum trees.
  Slowly carefully patting the dirt around them,
  like he used to do when he was alive.
  Another guy was standing nearby him,
  wearing lots of colors and shapes, blues, reds,
  in lots of shades. The light was bright and cool.
  To the right were trees with what looked like
  small red apples...two or three of these trees.
  Another couple of trees behind the long row
  of small plum trees,
  with fruit like I've never seen before ---
  I wanted to ask the multicolored man what they were,
  it was a yellow, almost melon-like fruit,
  with bumps or something - what's the word -
  as I watched Pops, squinting and brown,
  intense and happy, patting the soil.
  My brother, young and shaven headed,
  was completely involved with the two turtles he'd found,
  a huge mama turtle and a small baby turtle.
  The mother, open mouthed, seemed to be smiling.
  For some reason my mama had grey hair,
  for some reason my brother was a shaven kid again.
  Innocent, speechless (as usual) and exploring.
  For some reason Pops was alive, patting the soil.

  -Will Dockery 7-12-96


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Torch is copyright 1999 by Will Dockery


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                             CONFESSIONS OF A YOUNG GIRL

         Under-age minor child Jennifer Jane Tobkin confesses about her teen 
love affairs.  Vex and Silence, $4.00 postpaid.  Digest, blue cardstock 
cover, 48 pages.  ISBN:  1-881130-02-9.  Oyster Publications, P.O. Box 
4333, Austin, TX 78765.  Make check payable to:  Alaina Duro
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