sestinas || Shane Allison

A Sestina for Aunt Karen

Dear Karen, I am sick as a dog.

Been coughing and sneezing all weekend

And the thing is, it’s not that cold

Down here in Tallahassee. But that’s what I get

For going out without my jacket on at night.

I left all of my good coats at your house,

So now I don’t have a single coat in the house

To put on for this kind of weather. My neighbor’s dog

Is healthier than me. You should hear me coughing at night.

Ma makes fun of me when I cough. I spent the whole weekend

In bed. I went to the drugstore to get

Some Alka-Seltzer Plus. It’s the cold

And flu kind. I can’t stand having a cold.

I think my coats and sweaters are in a suitcase at your house.

Would you be a dear and get

Them out of the suitcases? They must smell like wet dog

By now. I might go see the new Harry Potter movie this weekend.

Is Tarisha still into it? Ma told me last night

That ya’ll lost twenty pounds. All I do is snack all night,

But I haven’t had much of an appetite with this cold.

I’ve been drinking lots of juice. I think last weekend

Was when I caught it, when I left the house

Without a jacket. I wish I had a dog

To keep me company. I’m gonna get

Me one once I’m out on my own. I’m gonna get

A few cats and hamsters, too. They’re good at night

When you need them to fetch something. The neighbor’s dog

Is gorgeous. I heard on the news that it’s inhumane to leave animals out in the cold.

So has Will done any work to the house?

I miss coming over to see you on the weekends.

Do you and Tarisha still go to Long Island on the weekends?

Before you come home for Christmas, can you run by and get

Me a crack head lunch with an extra bag of chips? In your house

I like the lavender and yellow room downstairs. I called you last night,

But you weren’t home. I need to get rid of this cold.

I am sicker than a crack head lunch-eating crack head. Dog,

It’s cold in New York. Is the house still

Warm upstairs and cold downstairs?

You better get yourself a dog to keep you warm at night.

A Sestina for Joe Verrilli

Dear Joe,

I’m sorry for not writing.

It’s just that I’ve been so busy

With looking for work, writing

Stories and poems, that I

Haven’t had the time

For much else. So much time

Has passed since your last letter to me, Joe.

What’s new with you? I

Got your post card collages. Writing

Letters usually isn’t my thing, so I figured writing

You a letter in the form of a poem would be better. Have you been busy

Volunteering at the school? I’m busy

As hell looking for a job. It takes up a shitload of my time.

So have you been doing any writing?

Last week I was listening, Joe

Robert got me back into writing

Stories after an eight year hiatus from fiction. I

Want to thank him for that. That reminds me. I

Need to write to him. I guess he’s busy

With that crazy roommate of his. My poetry writing

Lately has been shit. I guess I’m at a time

In my life when it’s time to take a break from things, Joe.

Let me tell ya, writing

In my thirties has been awful. Writing

Can be so tedious. Gavin Dillard called my writing trite once. I

Wrote a poem about it, Joe,

Called “A Trite Writer to Watch.” I will send it to you when I’m not so busy.

Well, it looks like I’m running out of time

Here. I have so much writing

To catch up on. I’ve been writing

Poems like this about a man I have a crush on. Writing

Sestinas mostly. Most of my time

Has been spent calling and stalking him. I

Really love him, man. I’m busy

Looking for a birthday gift for him, Joe.

Joe, I would love to receive

More of those post card collages if you have the time,

And you’re not too busy. Writing letters, and writing poems, can be so boring.