"A family is a risky venture, because the greater the love, the greater the loss... That's the trade-off. But I'll take it all." — Brad Pitt
FAMILY VALUES
Nephew flinches as Uncle drops a fork
onto a china plate. It responds with a quick high-pitched cry.
Uncle grumbles, There’s dried dog food on these tines.
The waiter steps away from an adjoining table
where a young woman feeds
a girl in a wheelchair.
No excuse for this, Uncle says.
The waiter offers to get him fresh silverware.
Nephew sends the waiter a silent eye-rolling apology.
He cuts his salad into small bites,
his focus on beans and rice while
Uncle speaks about how the nation has lost
family values, allowing abortion clinics,
gay marriage, welfare for fools. Uncle slices filet mignon
and complains about the quality of his chardonnay.
Uncle leaves a two-dollar tip.
Nephew drops a twenty on top of it. Uncle smirks. Insane.
You don’t have the funds to support a hamster.
Nephew nods toward the adjoining table.
Meet the waiter’s wife and daughter.
They live in the apartment behind mine.
"See you at the next town hall meeting, Lyle,"
he calls to the waiter.
"Family values," he whispers to Uncle.
terrypetersen 