five gone
he says
then the names
faces fade in out
voices echo
through the nights
left
memory
anonymous 5th Century Chinese song
Oh oh–ah ah–
thoughts of you will never end!
Your left arm I used for a pillow,
and when you turned on your side, I turned with you.
translated by Burton Watson
the rush of images
no pause
in the rush
of images
through my dreams
of night
of day
it’s funny what you remember when you’re trying not to remember what you’d like to forget
there was Kenny
trying to break up
a fight
that Joey couldn’t stop
that Phil got into
because of his big mouth
at White Castle
in between those belly bombs
and stale coffee
and all three
getting hell beaten out
of them
and the guy who did it
pressing charges
and poor Kenny
being over 21
is the one
who goes to jail
only to return
a year later
wearing mascara
hip hugging pants
and selling what he has
on four two street
a picture of you
there is a picture
of you
on my desk
your head
tilted slightly
to the right
your shoulders
hunched
as you lean
forward
hands under
your legs
your legs
crossed
that smile
in your eyes
on your lips
that always hinted
of a secret
you won’t share
a cup of coffee
growing cold
on the table
in front
of you
and me
somewhere just beyond
your gaze
wishing
you would always
be sitting
in front
of me
you like some song
drifting
through the channels
of my mind
you
like some song
I heard
in the morning
and can’t quite lose
by night
the picture
frozen
in time
to burn
forever
in memory
there you stand
there you stand
always
at the edge
of my thoughts
old pictures
the hair
darker
the eyes
clearer
the heart
lighter
back then
what the night holds
memories
of what was
is
could have been
this
is what
the night holds
Leonard Durso 