JUAN PEDRO I KNOW YOU CALL ME JUST TO HEAR ME BREATHE

HOW MANY TIMES
CAN I ATTEMPT TO
REBUILD A RELATIONSHIP
THAT DEFLATED
WHEN YOU CHANGED YOUR NAME

HEARING "ZACK MALONE"
MAKES ME BUZZ
WITH A SORT OF
ANXIOUS FLIGHT
BUT YOU ARE NOW
JUAN PEDRO

ZACK MALONE
HE LEFT A WHILE BACK
WHEN YOU SKIPPED TOWN
WITH THE CARNIVAL
TO RUN THE TILT-A-WHIRL

BUT THAT WAS NOT
THE LAST TIME
I SAW ZACK MALONE

TWO WINTERS AGO
AROUND CHRISTMAS
WE SAT ON THE FLOOR
AT DAD'S HOUSE
AND WE TALKED ABOUT
THE ALAMO
AND HOW WE USED TO
BUILD IT OUT OF LEGOS
OBSESSIVELY
EVERY DAY
WE WERE IN LOVE WITH
THE ALAMO

I SAW ZACK FOR A MOMENT
IT WAS DISTINCT
I SAW HIM
AND I WAS SO OVERCOME
WITH EMOTION
I NEARLY VOMITED ON YOU
JUAN PEDRO
PEREZ HERNANDEZ

I WILL STILL PROTECT YOU
EVEN AS JUAN PEDRO
BUT ITS SOMETHING
TO THINK ABOUT
BEFORE BED
ON THE PILLOW

ZACK MALONE
IS NOT DEAD
BUT DOES NOT EXIST
HOW DO YOU
FUCKING MORN THAT?
SOMEONE WHO HAS DELT
WITH THIS BEFORE ME
TELL ME
EXACTLY HOW TO FEEL
ABOUT
MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER
AND SCHIZOPHRENIA

I JUST TALKED TO YOU
ON THE PHONE
JUAN PEDRO
YOU CALL ME TOO MUCH
TO JUST SIT THERE
AND NOT TALK
BUT I PERMIT THIS
BECAUSE I KNOW
YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED
IN MY WORDS

YOU ARE WAITING TO HEAR
MY BREATH
ON YOUR END
OF THE RECEIVER