Bless you, Glen Campbell. I’d rather hear you sing
about your star spangled rodeo again
and again than any insane claim
the President makes about COVID-19
or pretty much anything. I’d rather sing
this or any other part of Rhinestone Cowboy
out loud, in my nasal voice, because I refuse
to let cruelty, ignorance, or sickness win, and also
because it’s fun, a million times more enjoyable
than being unsettled by the news, or puzzled
by the carousel horses with broken jaws
nailed into a wooden fence in front
of a house I will pass on my way home from work
for the last time for the foreseeable future.
I will take care of myself, my spouse, and our
dogs and cat, and talk to my father and siblings.
I will not mind the rain, sleet, or snow.
I will find my horizon, like you, Dear Glen,
and drink the lights that shine on me
like green tea in a silver Yeti tumbler.

JOEY NICOLETTI has published four poetry collections, including Cannoli Gangster, which was a finalist for the 2009 Steel Toe Books Award. His most recent collection is Boombox Serenade (BlazeVOX), which was released in 2019. A two-time Pushcart Prize nominee, he teaches creative writing at SUNY Buffalo State.