FM

working in the basement
the door is open
Ive cut the radio in half
and drilling holes to bolt
it together to new speakers

the woodstove is sleeping a
mouth full of darkness
full of winter burning
and howling lake storms

Terri steps in
"Hey Shannon whatcha doing in
 here  Working on the radio eh?"

I stop drilling and explain that
I took the record player off the top
that didnt work and am attaching
the speakers I took off another
discarded system

Ive made a handle and am bolting
all this together just for the cassette
player

I tell her I really really want to listen
to KITTY WELLS sing "Mommy for a day"

"uh huh she say with her big brown eyes
 is that thing really going to work Shannon"
she smiles at me like Im a dreaming child
and I love her right then and there

My snake I caught is still in the bucket by
the door   I talk to him at night when the storms
are coming in from the lake

I never wear shoes and the little house I
built and burned is still on the lot next
door   THe children thought I had burned
a doghouse and asked me as the flames
were climbing in the afternoon dusk if
there was a dog inside

it was a symbolic gesture to the spirits
of the homes I had lost
it was helping my ghost walk free again

they think Im a shaman and are afraid
at times

I finish putting in the self tapping screws
and plug the machine in
adjust the buttons and push in the
cassette  Hit play
and Kitty's voice fills the basement

"Holy Cow Shannon"  her eyes are large
and she shakes her head
says goodbye and walks out the door
back into the heat of the day

I put the tools away and bring out the
"ghetto blaster" on the deck and sit
watching the sun on the river play
tricks

Kitty Wells makes me want to cry

after sunset I take the snake to the river
and let it go