Five Days After the Blast
At least my language matters.
Learn Spanish.
In Walgreens
there is a like a small fortune
of the loose ends
of the world’s detritus
on sale.
I love it.
There are umbrellas.
There are walking sticks.
There are gauze and tinned meat.
There are saltines
and about a million magazines to read.
In Spanish
there is leche
there is agua
(la leche, el agua)
There is a TV stuck on channel 27…
on fuzz.
I’m excited.
I’ve taken some drugs from the pharmacy
and I’m going to wait for you
under the angled mirror
over by the hairbrushes.
Learn Italian.
When you get here
I want you to take my picture.
I want you to snap me up
with one of those disposable cameras
on aisle 11.
And then say bene, molto bene, muy bien.
There’s been no mistake.