Untangle
by Mark Dow
He fantasized about beating the shit out of his
older brother and convinced himself he’d done it.
She hated her older brother for being so perfect
and made herself a fuck-up to show him who
was boss. Her older sister told her what to do
but she didn’t do it. He made him announce
he had the smallest dick in the school. He
called him a wet pussy. He told him what to
do and he did it. He ignored her and told her
she’d be fine. She would never ever talk to her.
He didn’t have much to do with him anymore.
He loved him and he hated him. She punished
herself and began to untangle it. He preferred
not to hold or be held. She held and was held.
He held and was scared to be held. She liked
being held and laughed inappropriately a lot.
About the Author:
Mark Dow is the author of Plain Talk Rising (poems) and American Gulag: Inside U.S. Immigration Prisons (California). He has other recent work in PN Review, Plume, and Mudlark.
Cover image by b e via Flickr (cc)
