for Don Means
By-Gawd West Virginia. Daddy went away. On the Ridge. Why won’t Daddy get out of the car? Oil company- must be rich. Good sex. I don’t appreciate it. Bucs. American Dogs. John Lynch came in here. Train Dancer. Pyramids. Pass-A-Grille. Trixie. Fan interference- Cubs lose again. All-natural. Arsenic. Love Shack. You gave me my Dad back. Iwo Jima. They used urine to keep the machine guns from overheating. Foxhole on the beach. Mortar. They’re dead. California. Shell shock. Dad would only tell the story when he was drunk. Broken collarbone. Wire broke free. Ready to go for the Bay of Pigs. We won’t evacuate. It’s just a tropical storm. Almond butter. Vegetarian. Swollen cheeks. Indolent. Beepa. Lost our fathers. Convenience stores. Ocala. Marion. Stetson Law. Publix. Flea market. Dream. Chemo. Hospice won’t feed you. VA. Marilyn Monroe. Mars Attacks. Hundreds of DVD’s. Easter eggs in the mail. Love you. Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Music Choice. Biscuits and gravy. Don Cesar. Fort DeSoto. Partners. Pressing on the airway. Didn’t know if I would wake up in the morning. Chicago dogs with sport peppers for the rehearsal dinner. Pictures on the wall. Watch out for the knick-knacks. Christmas morning. Running in the rain. 13 hours on the train. She’s terrified. Has it been that long? Ensure. It’s time.
I wrote this about two weeks ago, but have been holding onto it out of respect until it was time. Don had to believe he would win his fight and would allow for no consideration of any possibility that he might lose his battle.
Don’t worry, Don, I’ll take care of the girls for you. You just rest.
You Modpo folks will recognize the Ron Silliman/Lyn Hejinian influence here. I wrote this in either the 9.1 week or the 9.2 week.
This is lovely. Didn’t get to it until now. Will say more later. My condolences.
Thanks Rob. Don is my father-in-law. Don put up a hell of a fight, but as I wrote- it’s time.
70 stories for 70 years.
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