Old Guys in the Steam Room   132° F

Begin talking about their cancers

Four of them   Skin   Colon   Liver   Lung

Total remission for four years now

You could have scraped me off

The doctor’s office floor the day she told me

Like Halloween when I was a kid Scary

It was a Thursday    I remember

Because I drove to Mack & Dave’s

And bought a chrome plated Ruger 38

And a box of shells to go with that

They’re open Thursdays till 9

I tell you when it comes to being laid out

I’m not up to being a burden to anyone

So when my time comes     I’m gone

This is what surprises me though

I’d never realized how beautiful

Some of those small caliber firearms

I know how to change things to last

I’m talking beautiful    It is weird