Contributor: Wayne Scheer

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I'm a bad father,
passing on my addiction
to my son.

He's been steadfast
in his desire
not to be like me

Not to fall in the clutches
of the demon,
but alas

He's begun spending
his money and time,
neither of which he has in abundance,

On an addiction
he's picked up from me.
Even asked

If I can help him make a connection
and supply him
from my personal stash.

He's getting interested in gardening,
just a hosta here, some irises there,
and so it begins.

I introduced him
to my personal gardening guru
who works at a local nursery

And he spent
an absurd amount of money
on plants to adorn his front yard.

O the horror of a father
passing on his sins
to his son.


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Wayne Scheer has been nominated for four Pushcart Prizes and a Best of the Net. He's published numerous stories, poems and essays in print and online, including Revealing Moments, https://issuu.com/pearnoir/docs/revealing_moments a collection of flash stories. His short story, “Zen and the Art of House Painting” has been made into a short film. https://vimeo.com/18491827