He Was Never Mine

by Tiffany Joe

death is a con man.
he carries coins in a sock
and drinks barley with
lime. his name on the headstone
says “dad”—he was never mine.

**

trumpets and bullets,
an honorable rest. he
left candy apples
and savings bonds lacquered in
red. the con: death did him a favor.

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Tiffany Joe is a Senior Creative Writing Major from UCO in Oklahoma. Her work often explores themes of grief, mortality, and loneliness.