By Steve Carter
(For Joe Joseph)
Joe works in a factory
He just doesn’t
look the same.
His hair is longer (or
shorter—I don’t remember).
His teeth are still crooked,
but you don’t notice
since he stopped singing.
Maybe that’s why
they named him twice,
to allow for this change.
Steve Carter is a writer and jazz guitarist. He taught music and English at Berklee College of Music. His first book of poems, Intermodulations, was recently published by Maat Publishing (www.maatpublishing.net). His poetry has appeared in many magazines, including Hanging Loose, Carolina Review, Stand, and Clackamas Literary Review. He has 10 CDs of his music available on his independent record label, Frogstory Records (www.frogstoryrecords.com).
