Word count: 103
Paragraphs: 15
Marty Matz and Neeli Cherkovski, San Francisco, May, 1964. Photo: Raymond Foye.
For Neeli
Together
we collect afternoons
of poetry talk
fueled by repeated pours
from your moka pot
Enhanced with sweet brandy & many
pipes of your new favorite tobacco
ordered special from England
I leave the pouch
visit again, leave another
April 4, 2016
Meltzer still with us
you write to me
it is the dozenth poem
a perennial first poem
Now
every one of them is precious
this one is entitled Robert Grenier
I respond
The rain, falling water
speaks unrhymed syllables
against the window
spilling wine, broken hearts
begging for steam\
washing ashes
thank you
once again
Youssef Alaoui-Fdili is an Arab-Latino, born in California. He has an MFA in Poetics from New College of California. His poems have appeared in Exquisite Corpse, 580 Split, Cherry Bleeds, Virgogray Press, Red Fez, Big Bridge, Dusie Press, Paris Lit Up, The Opiate, and nominated for a Pushcart at Full of Crow. Youssef is an original creator of the East Bay literary arts festival “Beast Crawl.” In 2012 he created Paper Press Books & Associates Publishing Company.