—"THAT’S LIFE,” THAT’S WHAT ALL THE PEOPLE SAY

 

I Miss Terry Kath

 

I find my doppelgänger 

crouched under a peach tree 

staring at earthworms 

peeking up through the 

damp lawn. He looks skinny,

confused and forlorn like a 

caterpillar with nowhere to burrow. 

I ask, “Do you like Chicago?” 

and he says, “You mean the band?” 

and I say, “How’d you know I 

meant that and not the city?” 

and he says, “I miss Terry Kath,” 

and I say “No one remembers 

him anymore,” and he says, “I know,” 

and I say, “Maybe Mom could be that way,” 

and he says (…) and I say, “For our sake,”

and he says, “But she’s right here,” 

and I say “What? Where?” and he says, 

“Under the soil,” and I say, 

“You’re fucking with me, right?” 

and he says, “No, man, she‘s looking 

at me right now,” and I say, 

“That’s impossible, you 

were always a terrible liar,”

and he says, “She’s smiling again.”