James Babbs- Three Poems

May of 83

I went to see his car

the one he was driving that night

when he got drunk and drove it

off the road at high speed

the night he never came home

I went with my uncle and my father

somebody’s farm outside of town

where my father said they could leave it

I went with them to see it

because

I needed to know for myself

I didn’t believe it

even when they kept telling me

I knew it had to be

some kind of mistake

shivering as we walked behind the barn

before I saw the mangled body

the windshield shattered to pieces

the pain twisting in my stomach

that took my breath away

Beautiful Silence

I’m an asshole and don’t know

how to talk to people

she screams at me

before slamming the door

leaving me alone

sitting in the darkness

reaching for the bottle

pouring myself another drink

the beautiful silence

so soft and warm around me

maybe she’s right and

I am an asshole

but there are far worse things

than this in the world

My Heart Beating

the first time I told her

I loved her

we were lying together in bed

naked beneath the blankets

awash in the afterglow

her fingers brushing my arm

she didn’t look at me

but I heard her say

okay

I guess

I expected fireworks

going off in my head

I wanted some kind of

beautiful music playing

but all I got was laughter

spilling from the television

the sound of my heart

beating like a drum

I have published hundreds of poems over the last several years in print journals and online.  I live in the same small town where I grew up.  I work for the government but don’t like to talk about it.  I have a cherry tree and two grapevines in my back yard and several pesky rabbits.  My books are available from www.xlibris.com, www.lulu.com & www.interiornoisepress.com.