Friday, February 18, 2011
In Memoriam
James (Jimmy) Howard Dill: 1953-2011
El Paso, Texas.
The Goodbye
You almost lit the cigarette twice
but I forced my mouth shut.
Watching your every move,
I cleared my throat.
The smoke-filled room
provoked a last word in the silence
--Your chairs need oil.
The backscrews need tightening.
He nodded in Japanese fashion.
Trying to cushion the air,
I found no crisp, dead leaf
to rake moisture left from a choking sea.
Copyright (c) 1999 by Robert L. Giron.
From Metamorphosis of the Serpent God (1999, Gival Press) by Robert L. Giron. Printed online by permission.
El Paso, Texas.
The Goodbye
You almost lit the cigarette twice
but I forced my mouth shut.
Watching your every move,
I cleared my throat.
The smoke-filled room
provoked a last word in the silence
--Your chairs need oil.
The backscrews need tightening.
He nodded in Japanese fashion.
Trying to cushion the air,
I found no crisp, dead leaf
to rake moisture left from a choking sea.
Copyright (c) 1999 by Robert L. Giron.
From Metamorphosis of the Serpent God (1999, Gival Press) by Robert L. Giron. Printed online by permission.
