eee Every year Thanksgiving night we Bocked out behind Dad ashe dragged the Santa sito the oad and draped it over a ind ufcraidx be bil ou of metal poe nthe yard Super Bow! week the pole was dressed ina jersey and Rod'shelet and Rod had to clea it with Dad if he helmet off. On Fourth of July the pole was Uncle Sam, on ted take the Veterans Day a soldier, oa Halloween a ghost. The poe was Dad's oneconcesionto pee. We were allowed single Cay oa from the box at time. One Christmas Eve he sricked Kimmie for wating a apple slice. He hovered over us a5 we poured kechup, saying, Good enough good enough ood enough. Birthday parties consisted of cupcakes, no iceream, The fs sme I brought dat over she sid, What's vith your dad and that ple? and I sa there linking We left home, marsed, had children of our own, found the sce of meanness booming aso within ws. Dad begea “resin the pole with more complexity and les discernible lope. He draped somknd of fur overt on Groundhog Dey and lugged out a foodigh wo ensure 2 shadow. When ay surthquake struck Chile he lid the pole on its side asd ‘Prayainted afin the earth, Mom died and he deed the pole as Death and hung from the crouber photos of ‘Mom as a baby. We'd stop by and find odd talismayn fess his youth arranged around the base: army medals theser Wickets, old sweatshirts, tubes of Moms makeup, One se ‘umn he painted the pole bright yellow. He covered it with ton sth winter fr warmth and prod offing by hammering in six crossed sticks around the yard, Heron lengths of serng between the pole ad the sticks and taped tothe sting eters of apology, admissions of ero, len fo understanding, all writen ina feantic hand on index ceed He paimed sign saying Love and hung from the pole sod ‘nother that aid roncivt? and then he did inthe ell with ‘he radio.on and we sold the house ro a young couple who 2anked ou the pol and lei by the rad on athe dey. PUPPY "wc ahealy Mare hap ot he ile othe sural a nh reel of cor, cash bi pss fet for put tern mind of «hued hose or famed hoe he tad cea nut te mye oe at omens topes inher ind ith ate act on foc whenever hath lls fhe stn on onthe pee iran he weed make a ithe lth erapodig yh hued he hat sop inhi mind hee heya th bance of thee ol cne p now hh could all caper gh ie nde alee ends on tears aba at