Penelope unravels the shroud
of her great grandfather (me)
and allows no visitors
during this supposed composition,
you see It was all set
but for that memorial day 
when returning from Dr. Hue’s
in sandals on wet cobble stone
this 84 y.o. body executed
a flat-face fall that led to ER
but no broken bones
just a bloody nose and bruised faced,
it kinda knocked the wind
from the lungs of an auto-bio
but even the gruesome selfies
(way worse than that broken legged
purple heart from 1962)
sent to Penelope at U.T. Austin
did not defer her from sailing
to her ailing bisexual g.g.father
to write his ship, so to speak

even in a life as old as this
it’s hard to believe what havoc
2 years can wreck, in 20-21
best buddy, Jack Teal, & yours
truly were having an unruly time
on our naval vessels
waiting out covid on that inland
sea of Lake Herrington, Oh My,
but then by last year J.T. was gone
as in died after a horrid nursing 
“home” visit and ZZ was kicked off
his boat and decamped 
to his sister’s abode at Alligator
Lake Condos in Temple Terrace 

horendous florida
last summer a wet rag on the heart
capped off with a flight north
when Ian rampaged the gulf
lucky for us little damage
then a fall-winter of wanton
hate being spewed in the sunshine
state, no one could suspect 
this old coot but still 
it’s a nervous venture
to be out 
and about