Poem For Nico

Nico, it has been 
too long, I am out of
practice, I’ve been losing
your voice on the first VU album
to focus on Lou,
skipping your later work
all together,
listening to crude guitar
more than smooth,
praising flat declarations
more than lyric
observations.

Please, say that I 
will be forgiven this morning
as you sing of gambling
over strings and
fingerpicked guitar
and break me open,
rolling dice within me,
pouring into me
like a snow-grown stream
just before summer.