there is always that space there
just before they get to us
that space
that fine relaxer
the breather

here comes the fishhead singing
here comes the baked potato in dra
here comes nothing to do all day l
here comes another night of no sle
here comes the phone wringing the

“you know,” she said, “you were at
the bar so you didn’t see
but I danced with this guy.
we danced and we danced
close.

these things that we support most
have nothing to do with up,
and we do with them
out of boredom or fear or money
or cracked intelligence;

he lives in a house with a swimmin
and says the job is
killing him.
he is 27. I am 44. I can’t seem t
get rid of

she’s young, she said,
but look at me,
I have pretty ankles,
and look at my wrists, I have pret
wrists

being the German kid in the 20’s i
was difficult.
there was much anti-German feeling
a carry-over from World War 1.
gangs of kids chased me through th

Sunday, I am eating a
grapefruit, church is over at the
Orthadox to the
west.
she is dark

we have everything and we have not
and some men do it in churches
and some men do it by tearing butt
in half
and some men do it in Palm Spring

once
we were young
at this
machine. . .
drinking