our son want to know about battleships,

but war [                                              ]

or else it’s a question about rattlesnakes—

like a baby’s, i say, which doesn’t help.

 

in the car:  mama’s lump is getting better?

yes, slowly, but [                                 ]

[                                   ] the letter

is c.  [                           ] thirty-three days

 

of treatment, then another surgery,

[                                                           ]

[                                   ] then she’ll be fine.

 

my carefully chosen words taste like perjury,

and whatever’s caused these missed understandings

[                       ] aren’t his flaws.  they’re mine.