RECYCLING

Part I

Every time my friend Amelia comes over she asks if I would like for her to take out the recycling and I always say ‘No.’

Part II

Every time my friend Amelia comes over, she asks if I would like for her to take out the recycling and I offer a glass of chilled Prosecco. Her favorite is produced by a vintner’s whose name I believe is “The Blood of Fredo” in English (Sanguefreddo.)

Part III

Do you remember Fredo in the Godfather Part 2? He betrayed his family and got shot in a canoe.

Part IV

Every time my friend Amelia doesn’t take out the recycling, I think back to the days of my youth and the garbage can of my youth in my parents’ kitchen. The paper bags were filled with asparagus Kentucky Fried Chicken and old peas and cigarette butts and pork butts and meat scraps and Gainesburgers and Rice Krinkles and Frito bags and newspapers about the President and the Moon and Asia. 

Part V

Do you remember Fredo in 

The Godfather 

Part 2? 

He betrayed his family 

and got shot 

in a canoe. 

Part VI

If I had asked my mother if she wanted me to take out the recycling when I was a little boy she wouldn’t have said “What’s recycling?” she would have said “I hope that when you grow up you are a nice man and you do nice things” and my father would have said “Don’t be such a fancypants!”  which really means “Take out the garbage, buster!” and then I would have taken out the garbage.