banana bread

he has three
stories to tell me
this morning, one is
about his brother's wife.
how she went
to the bank
and took out all their
money.
the other story,
is about who spoke
at his AA meeting yesterday.
a celebrity
newsman, now
clean and sober for years.
the third story is about
his friend's
father,
who shot himself
on new year's eve twenty
seven years ago.
I listen, say nothing.
I nod and shake my head,
then unwrap a thick
loaf of banana bread
from the foil
and offer him a piece.