3:39am in the hospital lobby

by Justin Hyde

my mother let my father
come and go
as he pleased.

when he did
finally show
it was often shit-faced
and reeking of perfume.

i didn't fully understand
why she put up with it
until i was
twenty-nine:

i physically
threw her ass
out of my house
after catching her
in the bathroom
needle in arm
right before
she was going to babysit
my son.

i called my dad.
take care of your wife
asshole,
i said
and hung up.

then i got scared
mom might go off
and kill herself.
(she'd tried it before)

so i called her cell
and told her i'd let
dad know
what happened.

did he say
he was gonna leave me?
she whimpered
in a voice
that froze
my spine.

some women
truly believe
no one else
will ever
love them.

these three fresh stitches
in my gut
from a steak-knife
remind me
my wife is not
one of them.