That Really Happened

We plant ourselves
in lawn chairs in front of the house
the pipe legs sink into the mud
how much longer until we die
who sparks a minute a second time
and is out like something turned off
by a switch a rubber catcher's mitt
in front of the space called the sky
you can take a drubbing
no one will ever police you
your face is unforgettable light on grass
don't stand there walking away
all birds carry polio and I am
starting to understand how storms
seize the evening a soft coil
of hail cracked and pent up.