Tonight we went to hear Jack McCarthy at the Chelmsford Public Library. The poem that really caught my attention was When the Cholesterol Catches Up With Me. He wrote it prior to the angiogram he underwent in August, the one that culminated in his quintuple bypass surgery. Anyway, Jack is an amazing wordsmith, who delivers his work with utter conviction and humor. I love him. My all-time favorite (I'm not even sure I should use that word, it implies a kind of superficial enjoyment, when what I really feel is connection) is Careful What You Ask For.
Why is this entry entitled "Death II"? You need to read "When the Cholesterol Catches Up With Me". I won't quote it all here, but just cite Jack's own quotation of Walt Whitman:
I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love,
If you want me again look for me under your bootsoles.
You will hardly know who I am or what I mean,
But I shall be good health to you nevertheless...
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