'Cemetery & Beach' (revised)

night dancing didn’t end until the sun was rising didn’t rise until midday squirmed under the sheets until I woke you took subway lines I’d never taken before N R W names at either end of the lines chimed in my ears unfamiliar and off-tune Greenwood Cemetery seems like it should be closer to Coney Island the neighborhoods are of the same mold should have known the cemetery from all the trees in cities there aren’t room for trees among the living the catacombs will remain unopened despite plans they would have been opened for the first time in 165 years stay on the paved roads mostly avoiding the attention of security guards clearing overgrowth from low set stones when they aren’t looking watch you take pictures of stone shapes and carved records names cut in stone have outlasted the minds and hearts they signified will outlast you and me when you return to the earth and I to the ocean more graves to clear then I can manage feeling like a lost child I try to take your hand rebuked for offensive action: disrespecting the dead it isn’t hard to understand but I hope that when my body is cold I would not begrudge another some human warmth it takes so long to reach the gates my heart aches by the time we reach the street travel on to Coney Island trying to remember how to breathe without thinking about it you bought me ice cream walked barefoot to the water tried to convince me to touch dead undersea creatures it seems so much worse to me than holding hands in a graveyard ran into the waves until you stopped chasing me came back though let you take pictures of me until I was red and bashful walked on the boardwalk carrying our shoes could feel every board and nail but didn’t get splinters ate a large order of fries from Nathan’s I always forget how large a large serving is on this coast but half of a large is fine you tell me that Nathan’s is famous for hotdogs I’ve never heard of them both vegetarians anyway the only meats I missed were Polish hot dogs and pastrami smells of cooking meat make me nauseous now waiting in the train station you tickled me until I shrieked went home the way we had come