You Are My Sunshine (Reprise)
Long, hasty legs stride miles
beyond his abdomen.
human grasshopper
He is swathed in oil patched Levi’s overalls.
Strength reigns supreme
in his work dance
devoid of elegance
He sweats black oil and Tennessee pine.
A juxtaposed being is
the common man’s ally
and scholar’s equivalent.
He is a titanium country bumpkin sophist.
pats my back in the morning
with a gorilla’s tenderness
familiar, kind pain kisses my cheek
He is hurried affection and an unkempt mustache.
Gluey lakes of Dale’s marinade
coagulate overnight on counter space
with remnants of animal sacrifice.
He makes a mean steak and potatoes.
Saturday morning- Rugrats
run amok in 15 minute segments
followed by Wiley Coyote’s frantic plight.
He embodies naive joy with thin slits holding the place for eyes.
In the Subaru: swiftly savoring saccharine –sweet
breakfasts on Solo plates, our reliable vessels.
leftover cake corners and thick-sliced bacon
He holds a scorching, sloshing cup of coffee above the console.
His grace is magnified
in my frail, thrashing carelessness
70 x 7 times, he retrieves my fishing line from a bank limb.
He is a god-like when the water’s metallic sparks glint off his face.
Valentines Day his masculinity exceeded by sensitivity:
a box of six scarlet berries
enveloped in dewy, solidified sweetness
He writes, “You are my sunshine.”
If I am ever homesick, I go to home improvement stores. I allow the conspicuous florescent lighting and the overpowering aromas of paint thinner and lumber to overtake the senses. It reminds me of him.