EVERLAST

In my dream, I am myself,
standing on the street,
looking up at the window.

Yep, that’s me all right,
standing next to the window,
putting on red boxing gloves
and tying them with my teeth.

This is a trick that I learned
from the movies. A trick I didn’t
learn from the movies is hitting

Myself with boxing gloves,
but still, I do. Thank Heaven
I see myself doing it, and am
able to yell: STOP!

YOU’LL HURT SOMEBODY!

But why bother?

I never take advice, and besides,
it’s fun to watch, and of all the things
that I am grateful for today as I do watch

The fact that it is not raining would have to
be #1.

A solid left jab, deftly executed, would have to
be #2

The soft, pliable texture of a new red boxing glove
would have to be #3, but, as I grow older,
I would have to say

Family comes first. Family before rain, and family
before texture. Family, family, before jabs.

Family, #1. Jabs, #2. Rain, a distant #3.

all artwork, including handsome monsters but not crinkly devilish types,
® mr. crispy flotilla, 2008