*Hecanbe*

He can be so boisterous that he can
start a wave for a major league baseball
stadium. He can ego up, get the home
  team fans behind the yellow leftfield
foul pole behind him, and give them
   the old, "One! Two! Three!" and after
it doesn't get very thick nor very far and
    their unsure, unsung eyes look eh, he
rouses, " C'mon, the Phillies are not
      afraid!" and then gives them the "One!
Two! Three!" again for another up—and
        farther it's hit but not all the way, so
he turns to the folks behind where the
              modest waves initiated and absurdly
stirs, "You've gotta believe it'll come to
                      you—You've gotta believe!" and he
one-two-threes the group again—and my,
                               the event spreads. They: with enthusiasm
and confidence and volume and him: so
                                                laughing so loud that, from the lower deck
to the upper, a major league wave of some-
                                                                    thing like 35,000 went around two whole
times before a big Philly hit a hot homerun.

He can be so boisterous, but when he orders
a chicken sandwich at a little place the next
day, the guy behind counter can't hear what it
was he asked for, the first or even the second
time he asked for it. And that is not unusual.

***

Morning Outside C-205

—for jennylynn keller

Haven't stepped on so many September leaves in years.
Returning from a move down South will do that to you.

My neighbor's pre-K twins were in the window,
Not just behind panes, but first-floor bars as well.

As I passed one cried, "Open! Open! Open!"
And a pair of wings went looking for a branch.

=

A pair of wings went looking for a branch,
And as I passed, one cried, "Open! Open! Open!"

Not just from pain, but from being barren as well.
My neighbor's pre-K twins watched from the window.

Relocating back up North will tilt such mirrors at you.
Haven't stepped on so many September leaves in years.

***

Paul Siegell has contributed to 5AM, horse less review, SAWBUCK, Shampoo and OTOLITHS, among others, and is forthcoming in Coconut and the 2008 Anthology of Younger Poets. His manuscripts, jambandbootleg and Poemergency Room , are currently calling out, "Whooo 's got my publisher?" while strolling a concert parking lot with their pointer fingers in the air. And somewhere in all this, Jambands-dot-com named Paul's ReVeLeR @ eYeLeVeL June Fan Site of the Month.