Kelle Groom
Bird Town
for Dylan Rosales
In Winter Park, on the way to sell books for laundry quarters,
black birds flew in front of us. Dylan, in the back seat, said,
“Is this Bird Town?” The owner’s on vacation so we buy
A New Puppy for Dylan & read it on a bench in front of the bank.
Blood sugar falling, I look in my purse for food—just a
peppermint & Vitamin C powder, Emergen C—the package says,
“Put a little in the front of your mouth as a breath freshener.”
I tap some in my mouth. It froths. I warn Dylan before I do it,
& he wants some too, so does Janean—our mouths purse.
We go to the health food store to pee & buy organic coffee.
At home, Janean & Dylan listen to Michael’s poem about
being trapped in a city, & I think how I want him to be free.
When I go walking on the lake, the music is so good,
“Any Major Dude,” I want to dance like Dylan did
in the health food store, in circles singing.
