Stephanie Staab
Angelo

The sham marriage worked and he stayed in New York on a green card
but the drugs took over and he got deported anyway
back to his father’s golden palace in another hemisphere.

Before all that, he lived more than anyone I knew.
Does it mean anything at all to say we were young together?

He taught me how to light farts on fire
how to wrestle anyone to the ground
how to adore a piece of art
how to pray with my whole body.

In his pallor, he would text me and try
to be the way he used to be:  jubilant
horny for life instead of sex

 but he slurred his words even in writing
the crisp edge of a real self was gone.

In his prime beauty, he affected the walk of an aristocrat.
Pretty girls always glanced up.
He read books about books
and everyone said oh how smart, how special.