It was meant, and taken
with absolute kindness,
an observation handed to the recipient
as one would offer a Raspberry Ripple
ice cream to a sweating man as he
patiently waited for a glass of water
brought by slow camel from the Sahara.
I smiled as my friend spoke down the phone
on his birthday, as he handed me the verbal
compliment with sincerity. I always imagined
that living in your head, old pal,
was like watching four classically trained