karma, coming around

it's second hand news
how
your mother's husband of forty
years has to crawl now
to let the dog out,
a bag attached
to his side.
the cancer
having torn a hole
within him.
you hear how he no longer drives,
or drinks beer, or smokes.
you wonder
if he prays now too,
alone with his one light on.
if he's stopped using the words
nigger
and kike.
slant eyes.
has his illness bettered him?
does he regret
abusing your mother,
watching her go mute with stroke
after stroke, belittling
her children,
promising to send them back
to ghetto
if they didn't get in line,
pay rent,
and keep the showers short.
it's second hand news,
and your feelings are mixed.
sorrow
and sadness fused with
a sense of karma
coming around, finally.