PoetryDispatch No.332 | August 17, 2010
TONY HOAGLAND
MY FATHER’S VOCABULARY
by Tony Hoagland
In the history of American
….speech,
he was born between “Dirty
Commies” and “Nice tits.” .
He worked for Uncle Sam,
and married a dizzy gal from
….Pittsburgh with a mouth on her.
I was conceived in the decade
between “Far out” and
….“Whatever”;
at the precise moment when
….“going all the way”
turned into “getting it on.”
….… Our last visit took place in the
….twilight zone of a clinic,
between “feeling no pain” and
….“catching a buzz.”
For that occasion I had carefully
….prepared
a suitcase full of small talk.
.—But he was already packed and
….going backwards,
with the nice tits and the dirty
commies,
to the small town of his
….vocabulary,
somewhere outside of
….Pittsburgh.
[from UNINCORPORATED PERSONS IN THE LATE HONDA DYNASTY, Graywolf Press]
poetry dispatch & other notes from the underground 
I love this poem.
I”m in love with Tony-Tony, Tony, Tony
Acute observation, Mr. Hoagland, and well-executed. I am currently struck by the popular locutions that seem to emanate from comedians: “Don’t go there.” “Wait for it.” “Not.” “Doh.”
Anyway, very good poem. Charmingly makes its point, leaves the stage.
This is really nice, Tony. I like the flow of it and the last lines. Very nice, indeed.
I could so relate to this in regards to my own father. Well thought out and effectively presented. Thank you!
A pome tome with the makings of a MARVELOUS novella…
hmmmm…
Yep, this be real good… gooder than most poems I be reading lately.
HIghly original, teaming up eras and something as potentially emotional as the
death bed of a father, with the idioms so familiar to those of us with a longer
past. Lots of POW!
This brings tears to my eyes almost every time I read it.