when I made it out back
was a can of soda
on the roof
of the camper bus
then Jimmy moved
half-in half-out
the driver’s door
spray cleaner in his hand
half a dozen
empty tins of motor oil
and three five-gallon
tanks of gasoline
two gleaming headlights
with their wires to the sky
were sprawled
across the ground
like the remains
of a party
the engine panel
in the rear
was tipped up
kneeling under it
his hands deep inside
the motor guts
was Ray
his wife’s legs
bent out from under
the bus
both knees up
as she clanked and swore
something sharp
and Ray laughed
Shh. The kid.
dad turned
and nodded
his chin at me
I came over
what’s all this?
what are you doing?
my chest filling
with hot dripping
salt water
Dad?
he gave me then
a wrinkled smile
nodding and nodding
as he fished for words
while my heart sank
and rose
and my veins
went cold as ice
June.
he said
just
June.