Dolphins At Nishimura

[“Why pretend to remember…” William Carlos Williams Kora in Hell: Improvisations XI]

—

Why pretend to remember if I learned how
to forgive myself I tried again and opened my
eyes is that cheating I know it slows down
the process if I’m really careful I’ll put it off
forever however when I looked up I saw them
again circling rising arching muscular
glistening from the sun behind me a steady circling
and guess what these are chronicles of now
here and I can’t say never written down but
it doesn’t matter this too shall pass itself
off as yet another relic useless except
to the painfully inquisitive the hungry insatiable
vestigial fingers I understand and hair somewhere
under a fin all else sacrificed to streamlining
no pockets which always struck me as remarkable
for where would I be without them I’ve always
carried something besides my own expanse of skin
what I do remember are the times I’ve forgotten
and the ensuing adventure called being locked out
or unable to pay my way or without means
to write anything down I do this for me you know
not that I don’t care about you it’s just that
all these years have worn off the edges
of responsibility nice and smooth lovely
to touch although that wasn’t the goal just
a soft outcome easy to handle and harmlessly
circling and circling in the waters hungry
to get my teeth into the flesh of remorse