Omnium-Gatherum: Steelworkers at Noontime Catch a Falling Rocket by the Seaside in Long Branch, New Jersey

Al Ryder watches his son,

a blue sleeper skinned toddler of three, chart the deep pile waters of

the living room carpet,

trawling a Fisher Price tape recorder by the line of a microphone, scat-singing ABCs--

all DA DA DAs

and Dee Dee Dees.

Ryder twirls his pink-cheeked girl (age one-and-a-half) with doggerel

decorated ring-around-the-rosy.

"Schooner with a hand crank/ oncologic seed cake/

social science vectograph with kidney chops and sage."

The boy drops his anchor and glares. Daddy ain't done.

"Déclassé Sabellians/Limy-lipped Pelasgians/ martyrdom is cumbersome/ but makes front page."

In spite, Pinky bites Daddy's nose and draws blood.