Andy Stallings

Life before me strangely,
I banged my suitcase
(blue American Tourister,
antique) against my
knee, whistling.
So many trains
to catch in Boston!
And time to ride them
all, to mine the brisk
nostalgia of newsstands
for peppermints
and oranges and seasonal
sports weeklies,
to while away the glad
odor of youth.
Curly-haired
about the neck in my
summer aspect, vague
with heroic intent.

But rain out in it
(turned out) was merely
water. Exciting
rain, exiting rain.
You can't imply
light -- it has to
be there.
Punctured
brilliance a life,
descends its small
upheavals.  The only
measure is
reality -

Posted 03/26/10