for the last day of summer
I'll give it an honor of defining it:
the summer i stopped feeling shame
the summer i started to chip tobacco with my fingers
the summer my fingers started wearing rings
and my hands and legs and neck
other things
the summer of a lot
of drinks
painful
colorful
merciless
my first grandfatherless.
the first really hot
but the last this cold.
the summer of sweaty pillows in the night
and wet towels in the morning.
the summer we started doing the crosswords
each morning
the summer of female classic literature
and a lot of brain work.
the summer i need to call so many names
lest i call it by hers.