Fugitive Child

–for A. M. Juster

No matter what was said by Weldon Kees,

The son I never had

Has never made me feel that bad.

In fact, I tender no apologies

Whatever.  Ever since I made my choice,

I've felt no need to live

A boy's life over, or to give

Some unborn, ideal child his earthly voice.

What would he say?  Had he my prompt and cue

For passion, what would be

Its object?  What would he tell me,

Who never was the man he never knew?

Len Krisak

From Fugitive Child, Aralia Press, © 1999.  Reprinted
by permission of the author.