he stared at the blue white sliver on the horizon  compressed by a purplingsky above it

       it looked like Time

                         what Time could be distilled into

the wind came out of the west

                                it smelled like Time  organic faintlychemical  cool   like the perspiration at a winded childs throat too tired to get up out of the yard  time for a bath
Carry me, Daddy. 

That pooped baby

all she had in her were those three words 
                                            she noddedclosing her eyes                                                 

hed felt that exhaustion but nobody was going to pick him up
carry him inside the house
prepare a bath
bathe him

Time

a friend  Arturo  reminded him of Timethat sliver at the horizon

he was the most youthful ninetytwo year old man he ever met downright boyish  his hair was still darksilvering a bit at the temples a narrow swathe running forward from his crown asif a hairdresser dyed it

impish

a photographer  he had a cover a couple centerfolds published in Playboy in the 60s  When women were natural he said 

he loved beautiful women

his photographs exalted them

it was wonderful to befriend him

Arturo was dead now 
                       and he wanted to use that sliver of Time  to ask  to convey   Arturo  you were ninetysix Why did you try to wash your feet in the bathroom sink

Dunno know. I suppose I wasn’t think.

he fell backwards and cracked his skull on the tub

Arturo hung on for two days

he was among the vigil

the doctor did what he could  he wasnt encouraging  he made sure Arturo comfortable  he didnt make anyone else comfortable

if he could talk to the dead OH the questions hed ask

What questions 

Of whom

Would he disturb their peace

Did he want his peace disturbed when he died for if he could ask questions questions could be asked of him

they could speak honestly without recriminations

theyd have a platform a soapbox 
                                    they could say what they wished to him through him (because the dead wouldnt lie  would they)

not through himhe wouldnt say

he would hold their words in confidence

he knew a lot of dead people

1722,  Saturday,  22  6. 19

1022,  Day-between-Two-Ts,  26  6. 19

Nope  no Alice Cooper