Likenesses

My mother said
he wasn't a vengeful man.

Sure enough,
there are photos where he's laughing,

holding us,
me and my brother.

That was before our land
shrunk to the size of a hymn sheet,

before they bought the church.
My room's the one above the porch.

Now she can't look me in the eye.
The paint's dry. I nearly ruined his mouth.