all those
birthdays
reminders for
people who
have died:
Dave who went
to work and never
came home
Joe who felt ill
on cross-country
trip and learned
he was Stage IV
Todd whose
intestinal infection
proved fatal
Mary Anne whose
cancer came back
Lisa’s as well
Cait who was told
she was cancer free
happy birthday
death
—
Alan Catlin has published in journals from the days of the mimeo revolution, in small press venues, to larger, more mainstream presses, to the internet poetry journal scene. He has three full length collections coming out in 2023 from Kelsay Books, Impspired and Roadside Press.