NONFICTION NOVELS

The Clutter murders took place—

When I was in the 9^th grade

The novels I’d read were

The usual banned ones

Especially “Fanny Hill” and—

“Lady Chatterley’s Lover” kept

Discretely in Mommy Dearest’s

Living room locked escritoire

I’d read William Golding’s—

Rather gay “Lord of the Flies”

And Harper Lee’s “To Kill A

Mockingbird” in 1960

Dove-tailing together for me

The novel, the movies, and

The Viet Nam War nightmare

Death in Dallas loomed—

Death in Holcomb Kansas

Death in Viet Nam and

Possible death for me

It was like Truman Capote—

Had put his finger on something

That was changing very fast

And getting closer and closer