Instead of going to see an old movie,
We go for a ride. You emit a feeling
That makes anyone in your company
Certain we are all loved by someone.
I have several memories of each place
We have been. There is no reason you
Should remind me of my father’s long
Silences, but I miss them now, and not
Because of you—which reminds me
Of how he would get emotional when
He saw a barn had fallen into disrepair.
I miss his sweetness and you are dear
To me in the way he was dear to me.
Absent God, it is nearly inspiring.

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Aaron Fagan’s most recent book is Pretty Soon (Pilot Press, 2023).