Christ Hannah - Date & Time

by Phil Kaye 2018 by Phil Kaye Published by Button Poetry / Exploding Pinecone Press Minneapolis, MN 55403 | http://www.buttonpoetry.com All Rights Reserved Manufactured in the United States of America ISBN 9781943735365 Ebook ISBN 9781943735419 Cover art by Jeremy Geddes Illustrations by Hannah Christ For my mother, father & sister. A story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end but not necessarily in that order. JEAN-LUC GODARD - What about Aladdin ? - Youll like it. - [Laughs] No I dont! - I know. - What is A Goofy Movie ? Is it about Goofy? - Kind of. - What is A Goofy Movie ? Is it about Goofy? - Kind of.

Its about his son. - Goofy has a son? - Yeah, apparently. - Is his sons name also Goofy? - I dont think so. - I hope not. I bet boys in his class say mean things. Theres a boy in my class whose name is Dirk and this other boy calls him Dick.

Is this movie about people getting made fun of? - Actually, kind of. - Is Goofys son okay in the end? - I dont want to give it away. - oh. - I mean, generally, yes, I think hes okay. - Good! What is Revenge of the Nerds? Is it funny? - Mom watched it 10 years ago and thought it was hilarious. So she let us get it to watch while she was at work.

She didnt remember there are a lot of boobs. Youll keep renting it. - Lets watch it. - Not now. - What about The Sandlot ? - Thats our favorite movie of all time. Youll watch it every year starting now.

The 4th of July scene always makes you cry. Its got some weird gender stuff though. - What is gender stuff? Like Revenge of the Nerds ? - No, more like - What about The Mask ? - Youll like this movie. Its with Jim Carrey. - Who is Jim Carrey? Is he your best friend? - No, just a famous funny person. - Oh.

Whats it about? - A magical mask that lets people be whoever they want to be. - Why does the videotape look so old? Did something happen to it? - After Mom and Dad move into different houses, you and Dad and your sister will watch it every night youre with him for three years. Youll never have a babysitter. Youll repeat the same jokes every night at the dinner table. It will become another language. - Oh. - How does the movie end? - Jim Carrey throws the mask into the ocean. - The one that lets him change into anyone? - Yeah. - Do you think its still down there? End.

I do not remember the day my parents stopped speaking Japanese to me maybe some time when I was in kindergarten had trouble understanding people and English or maybe after some glance I do not recall in a grocery store parking lot in California holding my fathers furry Jewish hand as he spoke perfect Japanese to me some confused housewifes eyebrows shaming us back to this country or maybe one day during one of my early play dates with some new sunny white boy in our living room I simply stopped speaking it back to them by the time my sister was born years later the old language had been locked away somewhere in the house an aging holiday decoration we took out and looked at in season thought about tossing completely I admit I fantasize sometimes about being a family that speaks their mother tongue at the table in mixed company we look over at one another lower our voice into an octave only blood can decipher honey, chew with your mouth shut go grab the dessert from the car he has become very handsome, no? lately we sit at dinner and my mother will whisper a mundane incantation to my sister after silence she says it again speaks into a canyon with no echo utters it once more makes my sister reply in English I dont understand what youre saying and suddenly my grandmother is there shaking her head opens her mouth is mute tell me what you want every door you enter I will let you in my friend Rihanna said that you want to see her? here she is parts of herself she never meant to show but I got them for you is that too much? are you upset with me? here a man belly flopping onto a lake a goat climbing on people doing yoga a baby crying hysterically & now laughing a magician revealing his tricks a photo of your old best friend who called you three days ago dont call him now let me show you him you like it better that way look how you two dressed up together that Halloween he doesnt want to do that anymore except with me I wont let him change, I promise why are you sad? here the woman you kissed two nights ago she was recently in Florida it was colder than she expected here, her mother two huskies little brothers graduation view from her old apartment best sushi shes ever had her Bestie Besties favorite bar Besties untouched birthday cake Besties new boyfriend Besties trip to Chicago Besties photo under the Bean Besties girls weekend its okay she shared it with me so I could show you here, the woman you loved years ago see? the marigold of the drink she had on her honeymoon? you dont like sweet drinks, right? dont leave lets go to the temple what an architect youve become there you are your face wonderfully frozen your funny joke it took you so long but Ill never tell youre safe here with me when you called to say after our fifth morning together that my travel was too difficult for you and this had to end I was in the market & had just bought a succulent with round leaves like plump emeralds promising an easy & long survival I carried it home with both hands committed to its nominal care the plant lasted a few months until a particularly long trip away the death of a plant, so visual the discoloration of the skin the limp extremities laying to rest on the dirt I wondered aloud about repotting it perhaps more water & closer attention a spot in the apartment with direct sunlight easier just to get another one comes the new voice from the other room