the day hip chris died
too early tuesday
happens all the time
i spring from bed
faster than the hot water heats up
in the shower
and i'm employed
answering the company phone for money
it rings almost all the time
so when my pocket rang
at 11am
it was strange
not to be a third party
It was Mayla texting from California
"Have you been on facebook this morning?"
which made it 8am her time
"No?"
Then she called and started crying
Or sobbing really hard
and told me Chris had taken some bad speed and overdosed
Chris had partied himself to death
Last night / this morning
I got choked up next to Jean, my co-worker
who now had to answer twice as many phones
I'd seen Chris last wednesday
he drummed the shit out of some show
but now he was dead
I went outside and Mayla told me what she knew
His friends, some Tom's River derelicts,
found him on the floor that morning
I called a bunch of people who loved Chris
because they deserved to know
walking in circles
there were tears on my face
on streets where i'd always been normal
It was february but I didn't wear a coat
Everyone consoled,
was shocked and heartbroken
And it made sense
Jean asked me if i wanted to go home
the soft XM sixties radio resurfaced
and i replied with breath
that just floated in my throat
as i got another text
Mayla:
Just found out
it was just a sick joke
, I'm so sorry