poem of the day 02.05.14

if we ever get to albany again

i think maybe we’ll take in a show

at the palace theater

or find that fantastic burrito that i had

on washington avenue

maybe take a stroll

outside the state capitol building

protest some injustice

to find out what my liberal friends

are always going on about

or maybe we’ll go to one of the museums

read a book in washington park

or hop aboard the USS Slater with the other tourists

we could get some ice cream

i’m sure albany has a ton of places for it

then sit next to the tomb of chester a. arthur

and run down that list of presidents

i’m always teasing you about

albany is probably pretty beautiful in the fall

i got it

we can visit the SUNY building

and demand we stop payment

on our student loans right now

buy a boat, go up to canada

and sail it down the albany river

we could make it a theme, baby

scale the corning tower

and sip martinis at the schuyler museum

if we ever get to albany again

i promise we’ll do all of these things and more

it’ll just be you and i

without cancer covering the sheets, the walls

and blocking all the doors

you crying on the bed or in my arms

until will fall asleep to the sounds of i-87

rumbling outside our window

the one overlooking the bus stop

some four hours and light years

from home.

                                    07.15.14