Inside the barn a solitary silent owl
hunched in the darkest corner, betrayed only by

white droppings on the rusted horseshoe
nailed upside down above the barndoor

so our luck wouldn't run out
letting the past catch up with us

Even though I couldn't see that barn owl
up in the rafters I always knew he was there

and I'd start talking to him
as soon as I entered the darkness

12.

The only gas stop between Baker and Ely had these bubble-headed
lighthouse-looking pumps—the kind where the gas

flushes to the top then goes down as it gurgles into your tank—
and their Payday candybars were thick as my arms

and you could easily save half for later
in case the car broke down

We drove past the junction for Lehman Caves
in our '52 Pontiac stationwagon

up over Connors Pass to visit you in the hospital
but they wouldn't let children into your room

So we stood on new grass below your window and waited
for you to appear in white gown, waving wanly from the second story

Stricken thin and phantom pale
that image haunted me for years

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