Me, Mom, and Dad.

The memories are getting fuzzier
harder to remember
like a fever dream
but they're still there
in my head.
I remember 1990.
My Mother, Father, and I
watching 'In Living Color' or 'Married With Children'
the whole family just laughing our asses off.
Times like that I was thankful
Pops wasn't at work or in the garage or at the bar
he was right there
the two of us laying in the middle of the floor
a gigantic pillow beneath us
staring up at the big color television set.
We'd all go to the desert on weekends
shoot guns
ride our ATC's & dirt bikes.
When it came to shooting a pistol
my Mother often out shot my Dad.
He'd get this big grin on his face
half embarrassed and half proud
but the old man never had any shame in
conceding to her.
Ma was deadly accurate with that pistol.
One time we rented a boat for the day
went cruising around the lake
my father wore a straw hat
my mother was in a black bikini.
There's a picture somewhere of me
from that day
sitting in my padded seat on the boat
a huge orange life vest on me
little Ninja Turtle sandals on my feet
bowl cut brown hair blowin' in the wind
the biggest smile in the world on my face.
Or we'd take the bikes out.
My father leading the way on his green dirt bike
my mother and I following on three-wheeler ATC's
down dirt roads
splashing through mud puddles
everyone's jeans and boots
caked in mud.
We all went to the movies
the old man saw, 'Dances With Wolves'
my Mom and I saw, 'Look Who's Talking Too'.
By the time our movie was done
my Dad was still in his
with nearly two hours to go.
After sitting on a bench in the hallway for awhile
the theater manager said that we could go sit in on
'Edward Scissorhands' if we wanted.
Which turned out to be really confusing
cause we came into the movie
right when Edward accidentally cuts up that kids face
and then the mob chases him up to the old house
so we didn't know what the hell was going on.
After Mr Scissorhands rolled credits
my Dad was still in 'Dances With Wolves'.
so we waited on the same bench again
dozing off on each other.
The movie finally ended
my Dad came walking out
scratching his belly and yawning like a big brown grizzly bear
saying, "Great fuckin' movie!"
However
my most favorite thing
the best times
were on Sunday mornings.
I'd run into their room, jump on their bed, my Dad shouting,
"DANIEL! WATCH THE NUTS!"
Then I'd just lay there in-between them
talking a mile-a-minute
until they were both wide-awake.
That right there was the most precious time in the world
to me.
The three of us laughing about everything
warm & cozy
with the family Chihuahuas
in our own private world.
The world
that my mother & father built for me.