lingua obscura

Spirits of 1776

I had a friend who expressed
colonial sympathies
at dinner, when reading the paper
he’d bang his fist on the table
and yell darned if my name’s not
James K. Polka Dots

when a gardening neighbor asked
about his accent, he said it belonged
to no one but the sea, though if it were
to wash up on any shore, it would
probably be somewhere else

If you questioned his opinion
he’d threaten to paint your face
full of red, white and blue bruises
until you saw stars, adding:
Aaron Burr should have killed
you too while he was at it

One time at the IHOP the late-night
waiter pissed him off he said
I’d like my eggs, Benedict Arnold

the rouge-tinted hangnail
moon sat heavy
on his plantation

One Fourth of July a cat bit him
right after he chewed a tab of acid
the rest of the night he thought
the redcoat pets were out to get him
At dawn on the fifth he stood
triumphant barking back at dogs
you’ve had your day, Lobsterbacks

Another time I caught him
wearing a powdered wig
and staring at the ceiling
like he didn’t believe in anything

He said he regretted that he had
but one life to give for his front porch
one set of silver spokes to spin

Then he lit a parliament and said besides,
my diplomatic ties lie elsewhere
and then he exhaled in the direction of France