the poems on this page:

    < how far away it was >

    < cleaning the attic >

    < bargain in the back seat >

    < waiting for you >

    < serial killer >

    < the same dragonfly >
    

    
    ------------------------------------


    < how far away it was >

    i'm standing over my father
    in the hospital
    he's stopped breathing
    i'm holding his neck 
    and shoulder
    and i've been rubbing them 
    because he always liked that
    and it's the best i can do
    while i'm waiting for him to die

    waiting for his next breath

    and it comes

    and another

    and then

    i'm waiting for his next breath again

    and i count

    one thousand and one
    one thousand and two
    one thousand and three

    like he taught me
    standing in our garage
    watching a thunderstorm 
    on the gulf coast of texas
    sometime 
    when i was maybe six
    he taught me to count 
    between the lightning flash and the thunder
    taught me to figure out
    how far away it was

            - - -




        < cleaning the attic >
    
    well 
    i should be
    but i'm reading an old newspaper instead
    
    it's a special edition of the new york times
    with photographs 
    of hitler's assassination
    of shera
    standing on the granite steps
    her arm 
    held straight before her as she shoots
    
                - - -
     


      < bargain in the back seat >
    
    the straight punch caught you square
    but you don't remember it
    and don't remember 
    the empty plastic vodka bottle
    lying with us 
    in the back seat
    
                - - -




         < waiting for you >
    
    i'm sitting in a bus station

    it's 1969 and i'm waiting for you
    
    our bus left 2 hours ago
    
    i'm still waiting for you
    
               - - -




      < serial killer >
    
    how can you lie to yourself
    pretend
    that you know who i am 
    you only know me
    based on the grasp of a hand
    and my few words 
    thrown
    into the air you breath

            - - -




         < the same dragonfly >
    
    so today 
    the same dragonfly
    sits on the azalea 
    the azalea to the right of the door to my house 
    and as i leave to go for groceries
    the same dragonfly 
    a bright blue dragonfly  
    sits on the azalea 
    to the right of the door to my house
 
                - - -

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