For Mark Edward Palatini

For Mark Edward Palatini (A high school friend)
________________________________________

Careless and young
are often one ,
and we were,

At the 'Hut ;
I stomped pizza
under our table,
and Mark laughed,
his asthmatic laugh,
his ass off at that.

We didn't always have a car ;
we went by "shoe-line express."
The three of us, catching movies,
wolfing down pizza ,
afterwards.
(one time, at no expense....)

All of us drinking
(underage!) together.
A while  later,
one of us, sick,
wishing we hadn't.
But having good times,
And thinking,
they were going
to last forever.

* * *

I got the news
On a morning before school.
My breath and my spirit
flew from me;somersaulted,
disappeared.

CAR / TRAIN COLLISION.
Not a chance.
Not a chance.

At the viewing,
came the time, to walk up,
and pay respects.
My legs lost all will,
and I dropped ;
'strength-less shadow,'
down into a chair.

Tears fighting for my eyes
a useless whisper :
"I just can't,
I just can't....."

Somber version
of "This Land is Your Land",
Springsteen,you liked his music,
drifted away on  late winter
air.

And we said goodbye
to you and all
the good times ;

Painfully,growing up,
losing innocence,
facing death,
becoming men.

Mark. (July 22, 1971-February 25, 1988)