Home Life
 
Faulkner would slap his wife,
once, hard,
when her mind would drift and her speech slur.
He would slap her face
without thought and resume his conversation.
 
MacArthur fueled his son with toys the boy demanded. 
He bought his son many toys
and identical toys
to avoid the rise of jealousy in playmates.
 
Roosevelt died away from his wife,
sitting for a portrait in Georgia with three women.
Roosevelt died,
and his wife in the Capital attended a luncheon
for the good of the country.

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Patrick T. Reardon is the author of eight books, including “Requiem for David.” His poetry has appeared in Eclectica, Esthetic Apostle, Ground Fresh Thursday, Literary Orphans, Rhino, Spank the Carp and Under a Warm Green Linden. His poems have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2016 and 2017. His novella Babe was short-listed by Stewart O’Nan for the annual Faulkner-Wisdom Contest of the Faulkner Society.

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