I am begging for you to be well.
  At Spirit in Lawrenceville.
Lung cancer
                                 I can’t
  stand this for you. I
love you enough to know
this world
is too   crowded without
you & me standing
around, heads bobbing,
at another live show
    at a smoky dive bar,
asking each other
what we want next
& how much more
dearly in this life can
we stand   to lose?

(originally published in Ink Pantry, 2025)