Losing It

I remember everyone who pissed their pants
or puked on the worn brown tiles,
teacher sighing, child led away, janitor
and his bucket against our silent stares.
I remember the girl who forgot to say
her sins at first confession. The nun
sent her back blushing as if we knew them all.
I remember who got a hard-on in gym class showers.
I remember who got pregnant and disappeared.

Then, a freak fire, a drunk car rolling, a defective heart,
grandparents falling, breaking hips, tipping over
into dark ditches. And suddenly we're standing outside
a loud party, and someone—maybe us—is bent over
in the tall weeds retching and moaning
and somebody's walking past—
maybe us—just laughs.

*.Jim Daniels' most recent book is Street, a collection of his poems and the photos of Charlee Brodsky published in 2005 by Bottom Dog Press. In 2005, he also wrote and produced “Dumpster,” an independent feature film. He is the Baker Professor of English at Carnegie Mellon University.