As appearing in Boston Literary Magazine - January 2020

Something We Held in Common

Michael Allyn Wells

Did I miss you
because you were not here
or because I only knew a concept of you?

Can you be angry at someone
you don’t really know
and love them at the same time?

Your name was all I had of you.
It was our name; something we held
in common when I didn’t even have a picture

of you to hold. So, I didn’t really have you.
I could not produce you
for parent-teacher night.

I could not explain
to friends what I did not
understand myself.

When mom sent me with a proxy
to Indian Guides, it was the longest night ever.
Neither of us wanted to be there,

sitting cross legged on the floor
thinking of senseless Indian names
for each other in some cute father son way.
​
And later, when he wanted to take your name
away from me – in exchange for his,
​I would have no part of it.


​Appeared in Boston Literary Magazine - January 2020

Michael Allyn Wells is an alumnus of the AWP Writer 2 Writer Program, Spring 2017 session. The poet makes his home in Kansas City, with his wife and three rescue dogs. Wells is an avid San Francisco Giants fan, likes wine white and black coffee. His work has appeared in Right Hand Pointing, Montucky Review, Nude Bruce Review, Remington Review, WestWard Quarterly, Best of Boston Literary Magazine, Vol. 1 & Vol 2, and Rockhurst Fine Arts Review, as will other venues.