gut bucket

it was mid august
when the fire
department pulled up
to the shack next to
moms trailor
we heard a knock
at the door and it
was little michael dale
he asked when the last
time we had seen
our daddy was
shit man I don't know
I looked at my sister and
she shrugged
months maybe like
two or so
we are bad with time
well the neighbor north
of his house is saying
she smells death
he may have died in there
we're going to take a look
oh really I said
we ran to the windows
watched as they entered the house
with blue gloves
and respirators
they came out gagging
we laughed watching them
catch their breath
it turns out my dad
and his buddy had left a
bucket of catfish guts
in a drunken stupor in the
house and they had
ripened up real nice
he was living on the east
side of town and was amused
at the news of his
apparent death