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Charles Coté |
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Charles Coté is a psychotherapist in private practice. His more recent work will appear in Upstreet, Boston Literary Magazine, Lake Affect, and ByLine. He lives with his wife, Barbara, and two sons in Brighton, NY. He occasionally plays
'Ain't Misbehavin' on his son's red guitar, all by himself in the corner.
Accompanying Charles's reading, 16-year-old Alex Coté plays his own
original composition.
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First Tattoo
Bath time unveils you
marked in reds and greens,
a mushroom sprouting under your navel.
(Stunning really)
Your little boy stalk jeweled.
What happened?
A story of bondage and tape.
The dog chain.
You blame your cousin.
He did it daddy,
this mosaic-hippy-graffiti
on your pink foreskin.
(Alarming really)
Calls are made
to cousin Phil.
He protests,
I'm not the artist!
Back to you in suds.
What happened son?
I did it, you say,
a bowed-head penitent.
(Beautiful really)
Ink runs down the drain,
a fresh canvas
wrapped in terry cloth.
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© 2008 The Cortland Review |
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