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52 Furlough for lunch he made her sweet peas with milk and butter her favorite— and after school he taught her lessons in French kissing until the grandmother caught her snuggled in his lap fingering combat ribbons and stripes the smell of aftershave and tobacco safe and after all what did she know when she was pulled away and grandma said you’re too big for that mess and him the one she called daddy like her mama did stroking his mustache and saying “ain’t much o’nothing”— but what he doesn’t say: how you’re out there so long with life coming cheap and death at your elbow you forget what hurts and what scars you forever ...

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