Unstuck There he was, out on the porch When I pulled up. CR didn’t seem to notice me. He rocked away the summer morning With his German Shepherd pup, Slowly sipping on his tea With the spoon still in his cup. “You’ll put your eye out,” I warned him But he didn’t seem to care. He just patted the dog and sang a song To someone who wasn’t there: Jeannie won’t you lay with me And scratch my back a while, Whisper in my ear Sweet things that make me smile Ever since he quit the booze He sits out here and reads the news And worries about his country. CR flies a little flag on a stick taped to the lamppost, A Christmas wreath still graced the door. Finding nothing to fall back on, He drops the paper on the floor. “Sean,” he said, “They’re taking books right off the shelf And I don’t feel so good myself.” Staring out into the sunburned lawn, He kept on rocking, rocking on, still talking— “A bobcat killed the rooster down at Honest John’s.” I wasn’t sure of what to say or just how I should respond But I promised I would buy him a flag of decent size. He told me not to bother And wiped the water from his eyes. “I figure anybody who can fly a great big flag Can fly a great small one,” he said, Gazing out towards my pickup truck. “A little girl gave me that one At the Veterans Day parade. She sat down right beside me on the curb And drank her lemonade. We spoke of kindness, love, and beauty In the universe displayed.” Then he sang another song: Billy Pilgrim they will burn you, Just you wait and see. It seems you’ve made the list Of Moms for Liberty. Guilty of the heinous crime Of coming all unstuck in time, Billy, you’ve been a friend to me. “Is that you, CR? Coming all unstuck?”