COOL BY DEFAULT

The 1970

Chevy Nova

my parents

gave me

when I was

old enough

had been

the family car.

for my sake,
they covered 

the forest green

with jet

black paint

and a red

pinstripe.

With a little
help from
my uncle,
they turned
the 325 engine

into a 375.

it sounded

pretty damned

good, to tell you

the truth. 

I remember

peeling out
once, not from

arrogance or rage

but because

nancy bucaro

was driving her

family's van

next to me.

afraid of rolling
in front of a girl,
I popped
the clutch too fast
and the wheels
spun out.
Guess I 
still wasn't

too good at

working the

four on the floor.

COMFORTER

I want to touch you

in the middle

of a formerly

snowy night

after the clouds

have cleared

where you lay

on your left side,

where your supple

body is turned

toward the window

where the curtains

are still as angels

where the moon

falls

through the

irregular slats

of your blinds

like a pearl-colored

comforter.