(for richard brautigan, two days after your birthday)

the year i turned eight, they
discovered your body’s month-old
decay building alliances in the living
room. for forty-nine years, you were
fighting against known spirits
equipped with only expectations
and no other
armaments against the everyday
battles. when they finally found you –
you had at last armed yourself by becoming
one with the gun
and you left a stain
wet enough
to dry out all the troutfishing
waters of America
.
20080201:1257

(for v)

he tries to explain to me the difference
between offensive blocking
and defensive tackling. somewhere
between grabbing and restraining,
there were one too many pairs of
hands involved. he shows me
the difference between a kick and
a punt – i lost total control of the grasp
of a fourth down. he finally stops
when i ask him how does one
throw, with any love of
direction, an oval shaped ball
.
20080201:1645
y