no last name

i work

at the funeral home, she told me.

the front desk.

i get the ball rolling,

making arrangements for the

bereft. 

oh, really, i say. i had a friend

in there a few

years ago.

what's his name, i may have helped

with the flowers

and the buffet that day.

butch, i tell her, i don't know his

last name.

we played ball together

for about thirty years.

he had no moves to his left,

but had range

on his jump shot.

saw him nearly every weekend.

we must have played a thousand

basketball games

together.

and you don't know his last name?

nope,

why would I?