No Certificate | Todd Epp
She carried the child
after it was gone.
Nebraska law said so.
No one asked her
what she wanted.
The doctor said
no certificate
and walked out.
She went home
with what remained.
My grandfather and his brother
found a place east of Henderson.
Black soil.
Corn rows.
No marker.
No paper.
Only what got told
in the family
and kept getting told.
Now the farm is gone.
Corn grows there.
Bonus audio of Todd reading his poem…
About the author:
Todd Epp is a retired and recovering attorney and journalist living in South Dakota. Most of his fiction and poetry is about the Plains experience.
This is his first published poem.
2 replies on “No Certificate by Todd Epp”
Splendid! I have followed your reports and writing for years. Good work all the way, careful composition and a delightful punch of SouthDakota attitude….”yep per…this old lady is very proud of you …. “.
Hope I live long enough to get back to South Dakota and have a shinwag!
Love your news. This poem is just beautiful ! Congratulations Mr. Epp