The Paddock Review

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A Poem by John Pijewski

Ritual

 

When he finished with me

my father put his belt back on.

 

I hugged him until

he stopped crying,

 

then guided him back to his room

down the darkened hallway,

 

tucked him into his bed

of broken glass.

….

This poem is from the book Collected Father by John Pijewski (Finishing Line Press), and can be found at https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/collected-father-by-john-pijewski/

John Pijewski is the author of a book of poems, Dinner with Uncle Jozef, published by Wesleyan University Press. Collected Father is John’s second book of poems. His poetry has appeared in The Paris Review, Prairie Schooner, Tri-Quarterly, Seneca Review, Poetry Northwest, The New Yorker, and other journals.