RIC S. BASTASA

on a cold winter
a friend in Chicago finally
opens up like
a clam and grabs
a sand that pricks
his tongue
so he can make a
pearl
this Christmas

i ask two questions
which i think are
intrusions to his
privacy

honestly, i am not
interested
he's happy and it is
enough to know
that

what i realize is that
he is happy and he is
no longer interested
about what i ask
or what i say

i quit.