no 28 (sentimental)    
         
         
         
  I distrust the sentimental.
The Star-Spangled Banner,
Tingling along the spine at the Gold Medalist.
Children's smudged faces suspended in brightness.
Dreamy shots of couples smiling from a corner booth;
Someone standing on deck, squinting into the sun.
Stolen hotel towels from a romantic trip.

I don't want to look down fondly on it, but get under it;
The glossy surface
That keeps us from looking
Among the rocks and entangled, waving grasses
Hiding urchins, anemones, stingrays,
And lives of crabs.

Nostalgia for the past, sentiment for the present.
Photos, letters, images of allegedly perfect moments:
Rich memory and gathering of secret power?
Or forgeries?
Flotation devices that discourage diving?

 
 
         
         
         
         
     

 

 
         
     

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