goin to the beach

let's go, Peneolpe told me, to the beach this morning
it was dark, could barely see Dawn's rosy fingertips
okay, let me make some coffee

so i get up and i start the coffee
morning abolutions
dress
poetry
turn on stereo
pack the boards
wax
suits

and i think,
will we come back
what if this is another twenty years

only this time Penelope is with me
and the gods are less talkative
and i'm not inclined to travel
and i'd have to make sub plans
and our house would grow over
and bills would not get paid
we'd lose our jobs
and no one would really
faithfully wait for our return
people move on
there's no time to mourn
this world travels at god speed
already
and i am not Odysseus anyway

the car is warming up,
steam from the exhaust pipe
like a vampire movie
boards on the rack
we are ready

dawn's rosy limbs
are stretching

we'll be back
in full daylight