The Dude Endears Himself To

The Dude Endears Himself To

The bubbling bits, the melted crayons,
the wads of cellophane,
the loogie hocked up
accidentally
on the face of a loved one.
The picture booth refrain,
the K mart moment, the screaming kid--
your kid (your screams) your blue light special in aisle
number nine, #9, no. IX.
The bar code ritual-
The magazines, the chamber, the Better Homes
and Gardens, the tomato worm majesty and sci-fi reality
the 45 that skips, that skips,
that skips
the rubber cement execution,
The antiques, the answering machine genius,
the message,
the quit.
The key that would never fit
(even though it was really the right one after all.)
The said and done, the leftovers, the flatscreen tv,
the belly in effigy, the remote,
the space in between
her ears and her heart.
The cards, the paper cuts,
the canopy of foil on an ancient afternoon.
The bar room, the bare room, the broomswept
corner of the attic.
The memories, the empty frame
the carousel stare into the light,
the left behind,
the clouds in the sink-
the feeling you get
when you let
the microwave
be
a weapon.