September 11, Once
Used to be
birthday of my favorite
uncle Alex, Lionel Stander
lookalike, possible secret lover
of Peggy Lee my grandmother used
the word SHANDA she meant
shame I liked
the word and Peggy Lee and my
glamorous card playing uncle
he was not a lawyer
used to be birthday
of my college boyfriend
Eric unusual linguist
he knew many unexpected words
disciple of Noam Chomsky he might
have been Peggy Lee's lover
too if he'd been older and had
the opportunity today
used to be a different day altogether
we who get older
we who know and don't
some of us not all of us
but some of us want
our memories side by side.