Hearing The Who

1. before I get old

my dad on the stairs:
"turn that
down!!!!"

he was right
it was loud
but he didn’t get that
it was Christmas loud

torn wrapping paper
shrieks of delight
lookit what’s in here

LOUD

2. but I’m one

it worked
when it wasn’t turned up, too

late at night
when I was supposed
to be sleeping

because lonely
is its own loud
and needs to be
drowned

3. I call that a bargain

I saw her close her eyes
when she faced the real me
and was glad I’d spent the money
on the album I’d chosen to play
that night

4.  cold sex and booze

had I known
how hard it was going to be
to turn into my father
I’d have listened more closely
to the lyrics
when I was young
before I became enamored
of passing pleasure
and before I learned
how hardened
my ears could become

5. endless wire

hand over hand
from the storm to the lifehouse
and all the way
the roaring in my head
the cables of bass
the swift knots of guitar
the stark breaking drums
the ripped angel voices
lifted me from black through blue
red
and now

gray