Heatwave

father  dropped  to 
his  knees  yesterday

for  years  i  cringed 
    as  blow
         after 
        blow
came  like  thunderclap 
against  my  face
and  i  wished  him
to  buckle  like  sapling 
     in  a  storm
and  all  it  took  to 
  get  him  there  was  a 
 common  los  angeles
heatwave