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that house with the high porch Eric fell off of in the dark and broke his arm." "AU I can recall about that," I said, "is after the doctor sawed the cast off, my arm dropped from the table like it was falling through the floor. Weird, what you remember." "When I was visiting Aunt Nola up in Accoville," said Scott, "you and Nancy went to mat skating rink in a tent and wouldn't take me. I snuck down there and watched through the railings. Got my ass busted for it." I wouldn't live on Buffalo Creek again if they paid me," said Mom. "Ain't nobody up there, anyway, since the flood." "I didn't make it up that far," I said. "Hey. You all know what happened to Mom?" "Happened?" asked Nancy. "What happened?" "She didn't go to West Virginia," I answered. "She didn't!" said Nancy. "But there was no lights on or nothing over here Saturday night." "She was recovering," I said. "Now, it wasn't my fault I didn't go," Mom protested. She looked embarrassed and flustered. "It was Nancy kept me out at the Eagle's half the night." "Sure, Mom," said Scott. "I never known you, yet, could resist where a party was." He sounded cynical, but tired and resigned , as if what happened to me had happened to him over and over. Mom was silent, and the subject was dropped as quickly as I had brought it up, as if we'd all been betrayed so many times, so what? "Eric," said Scott, "I've done my half. You wash the pots and pans." Betrayal April fools believe when flowering Judas whispers coral promises in die wind. April fools laugh when daffodils stick taunting green tongues out of the frozen earth. April fools load the sky with kites of azure, scarlet and gold. Dragons and swordfish battle above while cherry trees scatter pale petals below, or is it snow? -Betii George Spring Paradox Now we come to June whose days are rare My Mam called it "starvation month" her shelves were bare winter's store aU long consumed potatoes full of water and of sprout summer's bounty time away uncertain if at all it come about StiU June is June the sun shines The greening leaving glistens in the dew whether rare or bare depends upon your cupboard view. -Shirley Long 57 ...

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