Facing twenty-six counts, he leads his elderly mother from the court
by Patrick Meighan


The woman is old. I wonder if her mind
is feeble, if she knows her house, all she
owns, will be lost if he panics and runs.
Bail is a hard fact of life. Innocent until

proven guilty has its own dire cost.
I don’t see light in her gray eyes. I’m
not sure how much she comprehends.
Her son bearded, balding, and tall faces

time brutal for molesters. I notice her
hand looks childlike in his as he leads
her away. Innocent until proven guilty
I understand, but I can’t help wonder if

his touch was as tender the twenty-six times
he groped his niece’s breasts?






Copyright © 2024 by Red River Review. First Rights Reserved. All other rights revert to the authors.
No work may be reproduced or republished without the express written consent of the author.