The Tookany Review Vol. II Fall/Winter 2006/2007
In this issue
Edited by Deborah Fries
At this time, the
Tookany Review
is accepting only the work of
writers who are enrolled
or have been enrolled in
Cheltenham Adult School
writing workshops.
For more information
about
writing workshops offered by
the Cheltenham Township Adult School, contact:
Cheltenham Township Adult
School
1414 Panther Road
Wyncote, PA 19095
Phone: 215-887-1720
E. Twan Crawford
Two poems
Brick Laying
I've beat myself up now for 28 years
Left, right, and put 'em away with the upper cut
Hitting the mat day after day hurts like a mother
When you're fifteen and your
father's dying of cancer
Your life becomes another lame-ass Meryl Streep movie
People crying rivers over your head
Looks of concern and worry
You drown in the sympathy of others
Sitting bored in the hospital with your family
Your dying father lying in the hospital bed
Once a strong, hard working man
A loud booming laugh and a broad smile
Now a surrealistic dream of skin and bones
Looking far older than his forty-five years
Sitting bored staring at the floor
Avoiding your sad frightened eyes
Because I will crack and fall to a million pieces
And then die with you and be blown away like dust
Instead of meeting your eyes, I think about only myself
About hanging out with my friends,
About my girl friend Laura with the short blonde hair
And what we could be doing right now if we were
together
I avoid thinking about the whole situation
Because I was only fifteen and I didn't know what else
to do
I was being selfish and hurting you in ways I didn't
know
And when the day came I heard the tapping at the door
Aunt Juanita came to tell me you had passed
I was home alone, Mom was with you at the end (she said
you went
peaceful)
Aunt Juanita came in the door shaking like a drunk and
could barely talk
At that moment I became a bricklayer, building a wall
made of guilt,
confusion and grief
And I still lay brick today
Instead of her helping me I helped her
I promised myself I would not cry and I never have
A promise I've wanted to break since the day it was
made
I think of you daily, and dream of you often
Looking in the mirror of my soul I see you looking back
And I ask forgiveness
Your answer has come slowly, and you tell me that it's
time
For forgiveness
E. Twan S. Crawford is a photographer and musician living in Glenside. Fulltime, he is an IT director for a local advertising firm. He is exploring poetry and writing as other means of creative self expression.