Dear Gina Myers,

This poem was delivered to me by the Academy of American Poets. I read it and I knew you were my friend. I sent it to Misha, and said, “Read this poem please?” He read it sitting next to me on the couch, then turned to me and said, “Woah, that girl is your friend!”

Once, I read a tiny chapbook of poems, and I thought the girl who wrote it might be my friend, so I wrote her a letter, and now she actually is my friend. In fact, she’s engaged! I guess that’s neither here nor there. What I’m trying to say is: this poem is how I feel a lot of the time. I think you’re probably already rich with friendships, but if you want another one, hi! Want to get a latte sometime?

 

With smiles,

Taylor Katz

 

***

For N & K

 

Otis on vinyl
carries from
the barn. Blessed
is this day. The camera
captures us youthful
& triumphant.
Blessed be this day,
a celebration
of friends coming
together. Last night,
surrounded by
those I love, I had wanted
to read Berrigan’s
“Words For Love,”
but I didn’t want to say
the heart breaks, even though I know
it’s true & the breaking
can be a good thing
sometimes, like the way
my heart shatters
a little each time
I think of my friends
& how lucky in life
I’ve been to get
to know them, to have
had the time to laugh &
drink & dance & to argue
& feel hurt too.
How can one possibly
say everything
that should be said?
These feelings
just feelings, not
defined by words.
To be overwhelmed,
caught in a whirlwind
& up to one’s
ankles in the creek
as lightning bugs
polka-dot the sky
& Otis, again Otis,
always Otis in my
memory, provides
the soundtrack.
Not every day
can be a good day
but this is one
of them, one
of the best days.