Poached Eggs and Corned Beef Hash

POACHED EGGS AND CORNED BEEF HASH

Dragon James remembers
When his whole world
was his house
and his school
and the daydreams
in between
strapped in the back seat
and his father pulled
all the strings
his father was
a god
and a magician
and a genius
and a super hero.

While little Dragon James
cried at scraped knees
or puzzled over algebra
his father could
read any word
and solve any problem
and lift any box
or piece of furniture
and reach any shelf
and he could throw
Dragon James
into the air so high
he must have been
the strongest man
in the world.

So Dragon James
knew that to be a man
all he had to do
was be like dad
so he liked what dad liked
and he got astonished looks
from the waiter
when he skipped the children's menu
ordered corned beef hash
and poached eggs
at age seven
but he'd just shrug his shoulders
and shoot his dad a knowing look
and say with pride,
'I can't help it.
That's what I like.'

And Dragon James grew up
and his dad became
a mortal man
not so smart
and not so strong
and not so perfect
anymore
but Dragon James knew
that his dad
would always
be his dad
and Dragon James
would always love
poached eggs
and corned beef hash.