Michael Channing

Vestigial Michael Channing

Vestigial is a book of poetry about growing up and older, looking back on childhood snares, and forward to the exciting yet daunting role of father. My favorite themes of death, family, career, escape, and music weave in and out of the thirty poems, all of differing styles and viewpoints. From the collection: Once and Future Foemy fathertaught every kid in our trailer parkto ride a bikehe taught me how to bait a hookto yank the line when the bobber disappearshow to properly fixa spoonful of heroinhow to play hotbox and horsehow to hock a vcr for maximum cashthe best place to buy weedhe hooked up the atariand would climb the roof to turn the antennaso i could watch the incredible hulkhe would hold baseball cards and light bulbsso i could shoot them from his hand with my bb gunhe sold my bike and stole my birthday moneyi hid my mother's checkbook from himand one long elastic nightto the sound of my mother's cries for helpi slipped from my bedand slid open the closet doori wish i'd gone throughwith my plan and taken the baseball batto his kneesbroken his handsopened his skullinstead i criedand whimperedattempted prayerif i'd done it thenmaybe i wouldn't see his reflectionin the mirrorhear his voice in my laughtermaybe i wouldn't have to kill himover and overeverydayin my mindif i'd just followed throughoncewhen i was twelveFood Courtshe played beneath the tableunder a ghosting paper mug of coffeeand a month's worth of beauty tipsand scandaldodging the swing of her mother's casual heelsstop playing her mother saidget up here sit downstop fidgeting be quietquit rustling quit tappingquit singingquit sighingstop breathingbe still and be donewith whatever it is you're doingwith the toyi'm sorryi bought yo