©1998

A cat running from the kitchen with grease all over its fur

A dropped cigarette

An early morning audience

These are the signatures of the artists that I’ve loved

I’ve had designs

Theirs were better

One didn’t love

One wouldn’t love

One probably never knew

But I couldn’t tell her anyway

I could never even tell myself

These are those whose works hang

On the hooks of my soul

Like the stars outside

That the astronauts

Now earthbound

Now making a final inspection

Of their vehicle to the heavens

Just touched

And like them

I look up longingly and say

“I was just up there”