Where Were You

Where were you? You know.

You have already rehearsed the words
edited details
written
and re-written. You know
this is a story
worth the telling. Get it
to your satisfaction. Find its
essence and be able
to paint it
at a moment's notice. Go on and
get old. Sit on
a general store porch
in a windblown desert crossroads
and tell it
to the tourists
and the motorists
coming by
and tell it again
to the old gang
sitting by you
who were there too. Its a
goddamn good story.

Where was I?
I was driving fast
with my kids
flashers on get the
hell out of my way past
the snow dunes
at 11:51am
and she was singing
and we turned it way way up
and got to the house
with the other moms
who ran to us
here he comes
pulling off our boots and coats and
we were kissing and hugging and crying
and running to see him
and all the kids
and there was wine to
steady nerves
and we clasped our hands
over our mouths
and under our chins and
kept looking at the kids
who were being themselves
and the future
at the same time
and then this bliss and I
saw two bluejays
come right up to the window looking
expectantly
in at us
all the animals
come to gather too
and then
it was
real
and the phone ringing
and just the joy
of a moment of
the best of
all of us the
moment and I was
there and you were
there and
where were you pull
up your chair its a
goddamn good story
worth the telling so
tell it
and tell it
and tell it again.