karaoke night

The drunken father sings karaoke.

he loved an audience
fancied himself a singer

one of my father's
favorite things to do was
get up on stage
and slur his favorite songs

call us kids out by name
as he stumbled around
piss running down his leg

his performance was sponsored by
port wine and cheap beer
we hid from the whispering eyes
and sideways leers

but his sluggish gaze
and stabbing finger
always found us
anyway