I hear Otis Redding

                                           " oh -no "
                                       they're shouting.

                       " tell me something " says Lucy Ball ,
                              " are our best moments
                                        sewn together
                              like that afghan on the wall? "
                                                 *
                                           " oh-no "
                                       they're chanting.

                        "find one thing " says Ruby Dee.
                                  Walk the Easy Path or
                                       talk to Buddha.
                         She said " they both worked for me. "
                                                  *
                                            " oh-no "
                                            that's Otis

                                Redding, you fool, i swear.
                               If you're on  the Easy Path
                                      you don't know his
                                      " Lover's Prayer "
                                                 *
                                            " go-go "
                                         we're urged on

                                   to " find that one thing "
                                            Or repeat.
                                 Throw a blanket over Otis.
                                       He's a crime-scene.
                                          Like Cobain.
                                            Like Keats.
                                   

a blue jar candle

      Once upon a time there was this
       blue jar candle
      sitting right there
      on the corner of my desk.
       So blue.
       I didn't mind.
       I went about my business.
      It's gone now, but i
       remember.

       So blue.

The story as told

      So you pick up your life
         and you shake it
          and
      carefully, set it back
         down.
      You're wondering now,
        " did you break it? "
      You don't remember it
        making that sound.
      So you throw up your hands
        and get quiet. because
      that's what you do for dimension.
      Or you shake it again,
         somewhat harder, thinking
     maybe that'll get it's attention.
    Or you pick out a line
       from a movie
      and cleverly pass it around.
    But you're wondering now,
      " did you fake it? "
    You don't remember real life
       making that sound.
    So you blow up your plans
       to start over, because
     the glue and the clamps cannot hold.
     All that's left are
      the pieces and
     they're everywhere...though that's
     not
     the story.

     The story as told.