The Fatherland

is a place where fathers
have hammerhands.

They build play houses
and break the glass on doors

when small daughters accidentally
lock themselves in.

They wash hair without ever
letting soap sting eyes,

smooth tangles
from bird's nest hair

and tuck tuckered out
baby girls in bed.

Then, sometime after
the first wife's funeral

and the second wife's
inaugural ball

they drop discarded daughter
on her head.