In August
Sing to me muse
as once you sang before.
Illumine and inspire waning armies of blood cells
worn out by attrition beyond years three score and ten
open my eyes to sequences never before given
while I edit them with my fingers
backspacing often with one hand hindered another still spry
chiseling words on a tombstone digitally printed
taken from writing imaged on a screen
my brother’s name in big bold words
sounding this knell.
Illumine and inspire my genes
to signal I’m fit as a fiddle
I’ll make it to eighty uphill
which my brother would have been
steady as she goes no need for jazz
no need for discordancy
just ambling along
noticing
more than before
except when my eyes turn inward
into DNA space
where highlights of past life are archived
how is a mystery to me?
Illumine and inspire me
so I can keep making these songs
build me back from your archive better
than ever I was before
sing to me muse
as once you sang before.
Dick Russell
August 23rd, 2021
