Once I was "the man."
Once I was in charge
of keeping the heat—
turn it up turn it down et cetera et cetera
In those red-shirted days,
if you could take the shades
away from my face, I was
your friend for life. Now
I flip through buttons,
take bearded sleeps in bushes.
Take this rope
and put it around my neck.
That guy break dancing
in the parking lot alone
with you? That was me.