he had a laugh
that came from deep in his belly
and a smile
that could light a room
he fell down my cellar stairs
drunk one New Year’s Eve
when I was playing Good Samaritan
not having been with them
but taking him in at the side door
they had nowhere else to go
Kevin said
please Lenny take Jack
and Jack wobbled
fell
no one holding him
blood coming out of his ear
the hospital
a concussion
he could have died
but he lived to work on cars
at Herman’s Garage
blocks away from my parents’ house
many years later
I found out from Herman’s grandson
that Jack was in Florida
a mechanic still
did he marry Concetta
does he still laugh from the belly
would he know what became of Kevin
my connection lost
by a few years
and several cars
I wonder some nights
I see the faces
of those I ran with
his cousin Richie giggling
Maryann’s dark eyes
Joey’s scarred face
Kevin’s muscles
Jack could have been the link
lost forever somewhere in Florida
and me with the ghosts
thousands of miles
away