empty ballcap

Cody kicked his bucket

But I know nonothow, heard the idle chatter on the last bus home 

A gas station guy on the counters other side

He was ringing up beers just yesterday  

 *

Bussing from the pool over in cheery blossom

Feeling not too bad for Thursday

There at the mall got on the grimnews, out of the mouth of Rene  

*

He just die

Just like that

Another hard fact

Just like that

____

Probably the Covid I'd think, he was heavy, 40 in a wide orange vest

Smiling Colorado, a blond ole hick, said he knew

             Nostradamus from his history class 

Lived at the corn, the unicorn inn, said his nayburr near                     burnt it up,

He smiled and moved his big ballcap, rubbed his belly

 tweren't a flu, twas MTN spew  

*

He just die

Just a fact

No more alive

That's where he at

___

Sweating in the field there                         pump #9

Idaho family gotta make good time, 

school starts up and dad's three jobs 

Cody wipes his brow, sounds lots like mine 

That's why I'm here on the worst damn road,

  filling tanks

 with petroleum 

*

Back inside turn the slushy machine, 20 little cameras record the scene 

A maskless montage of death on the go, 

   poor Cody poor Colorado,  we all know 

Life in a motel

 so far from home, friends to all but close to none 

Standing and breathing just hours close passed, 

 Cody lie still and none soon asked 

____

Why we go 

Just like that

Leaving no mark 

Just an empty ball cap.

Period.

SE PDX 

8-4-2022

Montavilla