turning wine into blood

her words were like red wine

thrown on my party dress

when i was in the hospital

she looked bewildered

at the schizophrenics &

she has so successfully

avoided those genetics

they said i was

named after the song Alison

by Elvis Costello

the years between our births

to an alcoholic

makes those lyrics tangible

the red wine our

mother threw at us

was never poetry

it was just blood

when i listen to the lyrics

of sad songs

i think of her face

when she saw my hospital gown

we are all grown up