Poem for Nancy

This is the poem Butchered Switch has been most nervous about posting. It might not be good. It is not meant to be good. It is trying to be very honest.

Eulogy for Nancy

Nurse’s voice, in collapsing space,

“Sweety,

it was the strangest thing.

You fell, a part

there on us.”

parched lips meant

no more story time

parched lips meant

bring her the cup

hold her head

til she begins to tilt in

help her, help her to fall

come on. come on. come on. come on.

help. help. come on. oh come on.

again and again

the road is not peaceful.

peace will come when we memorize, erase

There was a big thunderstorm

the day you died.

All day it was hot, then it cooled

and in the evening came a big storm.

Sitting out on the porch in the lurch,

not wanting to do anything normal

not wanting to smoke or watch t.v.

to feel this disruption

as long as focus could hold because

it was going to be swallowed,

was already scrambling to be swallowed.

oh well.

Speak with that person in your mind

and the rain drops.

When it rains

I accept

baptism

of my imperfection

and yours, a weight I’ll shoulder,

to deal with another time.

This is what we can do.

We’ll like it. Be there together.

foam floats over

the edges

to be covered

the square to be made circle

God dancin in her heaven.

Moments stolen out of time

need not be returned

the cosmos is a pattern

wove around such random nodes.

This concentration widens

other pieces break out into focus

the tangential are ghost

squid whose long tentacles mingle and mix

holding the mass but not in place

quick grab them, as many as you can.

That’s life. So it goes.

We don’t know anything.

as we fall

into the oblivion

past

caring

death

a sea

of love.

I will wash your hair

I will comb your feet.

come on. come on. come on. come on.

help. oh help. come on. help.

oh