In those years
Patrick T. Reardon
In those years, everyone at
the paper knew the name of
the Cook County Coroner.
Knew what could be written
and not.
Knew the young bodies in
flowing summer dresses, red
and yellow. Light green and
white.
The forehead of Vermeer’s
seated sleeper.
One-Cent wished to be
attractive to the one
in small-butt cutoffs. Knew
he was in his clumsy way
there to the one with eyes,
the one with smile, the
gap-tooth one.
The ceiling trap door in the
firmament to the black
light-spackled universe opened.
Heart-O-Chicago motel.
In those years, the rat
darted along the brick wall
until the alley opening and
then snapped open soft fur
wings and gained speed
down the sidewalk runway
right at One-Cent’s face,
and from the small pavement
crack blossomed, like a poison
smoke bomb, the face of his
thunder mother clouding his
body in a hammerlock hold
like an insane wrestler intent
on being obeyed no matter
what.
Sacred of space
Give my wine to the next seated.
Frog mouse battle. Fall of Troy.
Odyssey trickster. Blind bard nameless
knew walls tumble down.
In those years, joker rat
pioneered through ash and
cinder soil to the garage
floor cement crack and
another route to anywhere.
Fat, unharried rabbits
ate the pink impatiens
as if ordained, store plastic
left behind.
One-Cent knew to count his steps
in case they added to something.
The voice of the sparrow
was unheard under the snap
of the twitch.
Whip crack thunder on the right.
Overcast on the left. A whole cup.
Pain has one hundred and one faces.
Hogarth’s lady, the smile and the eyes.
Patrick T. Reardon
7.1.16
This poem originally appeared in the Michigan City Review of Books on 4.18.26
Written by : Patrick T. Reardon
For more than three decades Patrick T. Reardon was an urban affairs writer, a feature writer, a columnist, and an editor for the Chicago Tribune. In 2000 he was one of a team of 50 staff members who won a Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting. Now a freelance writer and poet, he has contributed chapters to several books and is the author of Faith Stripped to Its Essence. His website is https://patricktreardon.com/.