Cleaning out the closet

Please Note: Names and addresses are fictional and coincidental.


As I empty out the closet
and begin to throw out
some love letters,
holiday and birthday cards,
napkins with lipstick,
book of matches,
hand scribed directions,
ticket and Broadway play stubs,
credit card receipts,
these names appear
from the vault of my past
and only remember
a fraction of those lives:


J. Rodriguez, 140-35 Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing/
She was older than me, and what a thrill.

L. Richiutti, 5-11 11 Avenue, Whitestone/
Met her on a blind date and she dumped me
for an uglier guy.

M. Papadakis, 125 Utica Avenue, Brooklyn/
She was hot and gave me herpes.

L. Fitzsimmons, 31-60 85 Street, Jackson Heights/
We used to get drunk on Jack Daniels to stay
warm whilst hanging out in the street.

K. Diangelo, 88-03 73 Avenue, Middle Village/
She felt sorry for me and it showed.

B. Winston, 34 Butler Road, Levittown/
She was stuck up and only let me look once
at her cleavage.

S. Lopez, 95-34 Kissena Blvd, Jamaica/
She had great lips, but after a while the novelty
wore off.

K. Montero, 25-49 Astoria Blvd, Astoria/
I would've done anything for her, but she
was coked up most of the time.

And now life brings me some of those
souvenirs, only to select the best moments
of each person I now erase by disposing
the mementoes into the garbage.

Reo Del Cigarrillo
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