blackbirdonline journalFall 2009  Vol. 8  No. 2
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GERALD STERN

I

                              XXIII
                                                                                              And at the gas station
                              where you’d expect a hundred Uzis were ten
                              or twenty sharpshooters and they had air guns
                              and shot the 22s for they believed in
                              giving everyone a chance and you could
                              hear the pumps clicking as they reloaded
                              and most of them were fat for it was too much
                              meat and cheese ruined them and I. remembered
♪                             that twelve full ounces was a lot when he was
                              in his teens though nothing compared to the giant
                              sweet bottles they drank

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