Living through a Fatal Crash
for George

this is the first
            of many questions

‘the narrow frightening light,
before a sunrise’

that moving across
  California
            New York,
            Mexico,
we can trace a
politic of revision

choices made while young
– the directions –
            given or sought out
in distress, as a
condition
            remain
words in a series,   
            a method
 responding to memory

            momentary 
simple as a struck
            cheek, reflexive – the
break’s sharpness
& yet a            
steadied hand for
            what remained
     a decision,         for lack of —

the result of silence: a posing
of the second question

            — Jamie Townsend (© 2008)



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