THERE WAS NO NEED by Brian Rihlmann

he’d grown
into a bitter old bastard
so i threw a bit of meanness
back at him
and he winced, said
“didn’t anyone ever teach you
to respect your elders boy?”

i reminded him
“this is America...
we don’t give a shit
about our elders here.”

i could’ve reminded him
how he warehoused
his own mother
in a sterile white place
never visited her
and then stuck her
unceremoniously
in the family plot
with the rest
of their orphaned bones

but from the look
on his face
i could see
there was no need

Brian Rihlmann was born in NJ, and currently lives in Reno, NV. He writes mostly semi autobiographical, confessional free verse, much of it on the so-called "grittier" side.  Folk poetry...for folks.  He has been published in Constellate Magazine, Poppy Road Review, and has an upcoming piece in The American Journal Of Poetry.