Phoenix, 1965

34

In a park
near my home
some big fucker

who didn’t like
my face
took a swing at me.

I blocked
his right hand
with my left

& by chance
my Tiparillo cigar
smashed into his nose

before he
could land
a punch.

It happened
so quickly
all I remember

are the sparks
& his screams
as I ran away.