El Toro Memorial Park
Bears no resemblance whatsoever
To a bull
Even in aeriel view
It isn’t a park
Though it has lots of grass
You can’t
Jog
Picnic
Walk your dog
Or even throw a Frisbee
Nor does it provide any memories
Merely remains
Which you can visit from
Time to time
If you choose
Bring your own memories
I went there to say goodbye
To my friend
Though I’d said it already
Since August first
Again and yet again
This time in the presence
Of others
In a court with
God presiding
I whispered and laid a rose
Into the vault of her ashes
Blinking hard to keep the tears
Behind my Jackie-O shades
Wobbling on my heels
Sure I would topple over
Faint from summer heat
Empty stomach, aching heart
And the ritual rhetoric
Entrenched in these affairs
And if I did, I told myself
I’d just lay there
Beside my friend
Flat on my back
No need to get up
No reason to rush away
Let everyone else
Trickle off
And leave us together
Alone
One final
Moment between us
But I didn’t faint
Nor say goodbye
It seemed a
Superfluous gesture
For she’s been to see me
More than once
Since she quietly slipped away
And I know she’ll visit again
Roaming the skies of my slumber
Feeding fainting memories
Of a life too soon withdrawn
To tell me
One more story
To ask me for a joke
To give me her leftover hope
Of no use to her
Anymore
To say
Now chin, chin,
Then grin
Letting me know
It’s okay