_____________________________________________________________
       
    ---- word biscuit ----
    
             -- bright blue dragonfly edition --
    
                                         08-07-96 - ray heinrich
    ______________________________________________________________
    
    there's been one outside my door for about 3 weeks now.
    some kind of message from the gods? 
    -ray
    
    

    < 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 hand 
    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
 
                - - -
    
  
    _______________________________________________________________
    and all this stuff is (C) 1996 ray heinrich.
    you have my permission to copy it and post it as long as it 
    doesn't involve charging money (kinda redundant, after all, 
    it IS poetry), not part of any pro-republican campaign literature,
    and you include:
    "(C) 1996 ray heinrich - comments welcome send to: ray@vais.net"

       
  

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