The ghost of Frank O'Hara—poem

Published in RATTLE back in Winter 2009.
 

The ghost of Frank O’Hara

The ghost of Frank O’Hara taps me on

the shoulder whispering

                                        and what about

the humor what about talks with the sun

and things that happen at the movies out

of sight of parents don’t forget the thirst

of being in Manhattan in the heat

and Coke the drink

                                remember too your first

love passion music though it might not come out

in words it’s there in you but I was sad

and said what good is humor in a poem

when people die Manhattan Fire Island

we

      bought falafels which we thought weren’t bad

and walked to Central Park for space and some

children were laughing and he said ask them