Richard and Peggy
work on a puzzle together.
Richard lifts Peggy off his lap.
Without her daddy
she goes back to dressing
paper dolls with magazine cut-outs.
Richard takes a beer
from the icebox and goes outside.
The boys surround him.
Usually he’d play ball with them
or he’d get them huddled
under the hood of his car.
Instead he pats them each on the head
and walks out toward the sunset.
The court has four months
before it has to rule
on our case.
It’s a fine thing we’re
good at
waiting.