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.
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