The Signs

Daddy put the first signs up.
He pounded a Do Not Cross sign
between the tables and the bar
when Aunt Robin took me out to eat.
She put her finger to her lips and scooped
me up onto the high backed stool
Tony winked and made me a Shirley Temple
we didn't tell daddy.

A few years later he swore there were
flashing danger signs at my cousin's
wedding reception.
He saw them when they made a toast.
So we sighed and climbed into the car.
Mom cursed under her breath.

Flash forward to Amanda's birthday
fourth grade. Her mom's liquor cabinet.
vodka in coffee,in orange juice
and straight. I was holding it
when she came down the stairs.
Her eyes flashed red stop signs
and I begged her not to tell daddy.

Sixth grade and boys in cars
and policemen and daddy's
eyes said whore.
but daddy's mouth said harlot,
whoredom.
Sounded like a place to me.

Ninth grade and Baptist
Churches and teary altar calls
and Restricted.
pounded on my lawn
in my bedroom
and so I stopped.

Away from home and
he said he loved me
pulled restricted signs out
of my bedroom
and pounded them in front of
clubs and bars, and every other man.
at least I had the bedroom.

Back to church and signs all over
Do not touch
taste
smell
or listen.
I was skeptical at this point.

And old signs are spray painted now
and new signs are fresh and bright
Posted, Warning, Do not Cross,
Forbidden, Caution
and they make me dizzy

And some are at the edge of cliffs
and some are outside of secret gardens
and more are rusty
bent
and ugly
but it's still hard for me
to tell the difference