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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