Riffing off Cleve Jones,
muse of the AIDS quilt,
the world’s largest
ever community
art project, after
listening to his
fabulous fairy
tale interview
on Fresh Air
this mourning:

Gypsy taxicabs,
highway of death,
perhaps worst place
my blood-spattered
eyes have so far seen,
those colorful mothers of
mostly lovely men with
Kaposi’s sarcoma huff
into town. After our flat’s
furniture gets sold,
I am tossed onto
that street — now
to contemplate
three by six
feet panels
gravesize.

# # #

Gerard Sarnat is the prize-winning author of four collections plus work that’s been published in magazines and anthologies including Gargoyle, American Journal of Poetry (Margie), Main Street Rag, and New Delta Review. Harvard/Stanford educated, Gerry’s worked in jails, built/staffed clinics for the marginalized, been a CEO of healthcare organizations and Stanford Medical School professor. Married since 1969, he has three children, four grandkids. For Huffington Post/other reviews, readings, publications, interviews; visit GerardSarnat.com.

Photo: Cristian Newman