jack you dead
hi jack
you are every man i ever knew
with a heart that’s new
and feelings too.
december, the lane a vein of brick,
black bags of refuse cowering, begging along every wall
and your bloodshot eyes,
massive
mad.
hands that have never washed a dish
idle in pockets,
you waltz
and whistle out of tune
half laughing.
i walk behind you.
you stumble once, maybe twice
but your mother taught you this dance long ago
and it still rings true.
at the end of the lane you stop,
right on the yellow line,
and marvel at the street around you,
swallowing up the crisp night air,
every smell,
every movement
every echo of every laugh, cry or whisper
and you sit with it.
but suddenly you are off once more,
tearing up a metal staircase on your right
up one flight,
up another
up more
you’ve been here before, jack!
you’re running now, two steps at a time
beat after beat on the hollow metal stairs
a clunk and clang and you’re at the top
breathing heavier and heavier and you stop
and see the city, rooftops, cars, every little tragedy
and then…
and then you see the stars.
you fall to your knees, jack
you can’t look,
you can’t look
you’re crying.
oh jack you ain’t dead,
no.
but jack, you’re the only man i ever knew
to envy the stars for being higher than you.