Discretionary Spending

When Dad finds out
I need a nickel for Brownie dues,
he gets mad.

When Dad finds out
I need five dollars for band instrument rental,
he bellows, What good is music for anyway?

When Dad finds out
I’d like to learn how to drive,
he says, You’re not going to drive my car.

When Dad finds out
I’m thinking of college,
he declares, You’re on your own.

When Dad finds out
I need dental work,
he grumbles, We’re not going to pay for that.

When I graduate from high school,
Mom and Dad proclaim, No graduation gift.
They’re done spending money on me.

When I find out
about Dad’s childhood,
will I understand mine better?

Linda Aschbrenner reads, writes, and dreams from a Marshfield marsh. She published 100 issues of the poetry journal Free Verse in addition to 17 chapbooks for fellow poets. Her writing has appeared in Rosebud, Verse Wisconsin, Peninsula Pulse, Poetry Hall, Yankee, Cats Magazine, and California Quarterly.