Me as Burgess Meredith as an Adoptee Writing to His Birth Mother

Tomorrow is the apocalypse 
as always, and I won’t meet you,
and the corner store is open,

 

so I prepare to be the last man.
It’s an often wish to be alone. 
It’s why I stock up on food, 

 

cigarettes, and spirits enough
for a month and more. My gas 
tank is limited, but you are not.

 

You’re the nuclear bomb I invite.
Unfortunately, you’re also the cold
war tension of a promise to arrive 

 

but won’t. You’re why I don’t 
own a pair of fail-safe glasses
 

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Bio

 

Tom Holmes is the founding editor of Redactions: Poetry & Poetics. Holmes is also the author of five full-length collections of poetry, including The Book of Incurable Dreams (forthcoming from Xavier Review Press) and The Cave, which won The Bitter Oleander Press Library of Poetry Book Award for 2013, as well as four chapbooks. He teaches at Nashville State Community College (Clarksville). His writings about wine, poetry book reviews, and poetry can be found at his blog:

The Line Break: thelinebreak.wordpress.com/

Follow him on Twitter: @TheLineBreak

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Make sure to check out Tom's forthcoming collection 

The Book of Incurable Dreams

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