duo

thump thump thump slide

kick out
arms spread
fly through air thick

with taco seasonings
ground beef in the microwave

coast and turn

double axel
triple salchow
dismount


socks on linoleum



------------------------------



You told me you liked my poem.
The one about socks, and running,
Sliding across the kitchen floor.

I thought about that for a while.
Thought about you and I,
Running the long lazy days away together,
Down to that greasy diner and back
To your house-

Marching to those crazy latin standards
Going down and dirty
In summer heat, winter chill
Cold hands and chapped lips
Buzzing against frigid mouthpieces.

I remembered standing on risers with you.
Walking across stage floors
And through stage doors
And beside you for all the accolades
And honors we received together.

Together.

And you like my poem, my crazy poem
About running, and socks
And linoleum,

And you don’t do any of it anymore.
You don’t feel that floor with your weak, flopping feet
Impotent at the end of stick legs,
Encased in a shroud of steel,
Pulled along by canes,
Or resting benignly on metal flappers
Like the figurehead of your solitary
Ship on wheels.


but


You still understand.
You still know that elusive feeling,
That lovely freedom of sliding along in the kitchen on socks.

I remind you,
And still we remain
Together-

On socks,
On wheels,
On wings.