On the Day That He Goes, I Will

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

             for Avery

 

think of you first.& then I will think of you again:

Your belongings—Stripey, a whoopee cushion—my heart,

stowed in secret—will lurchpitching, heaving, tumbling,

behind my breastbone,will stagger toward an image seared into

my chestthe shape of my own grandfather standing near

a bingo hopperthe mailbox, draft card in hand—

& the stunned aftermaththe effect numbers have on our lives: of age five,

of a roiling 6.9 tremorof eighteen years old &

all at oncealready gone.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014