Henry’s Elegy For Ron Padgett’s Mother


The two planes mistake
Ron Padgett’s mother
for two large buildings,

she smokes and burns
for an hour before
she starts collapsing,

hair first, the thoughts jumping suicidal,
her beautiful eyes next,
her smile that made the world

smile with her,
her breasts that nourished babies,
her womb that carried those babies,

the thighs that made
her husband delirious---
ashes to ashes spread throughout the city,

dust to dust spread throughout the city,
ashes and dust spread throughout the city,
even Papalote gets a light dusting.

Henry’s car is covered in that dust.
With his finger on the hood of his car
he writes, “Wash me!”