o’ mine

the first time
he screamed

in my ears

I was in the Navy
in port for a bit

drinking with friends
he put the cassette in

and we drove

up a hill just outside
Oakland

parked and looked
over the city

I wasn’t from
a city

so that kind of
scene was new to me

we were just a
group of friends

hanging out drinking
enjoying not being

at sea

it wasn’t the music
I usually listened to

but it was something about
the way he screamed

that spoke to me
at that time and

at that place

saying something
about

who I was
becoming