Hawaiʻi Sonnet 50 (Of Age)

Hawaiʻi Sonnet 50 (Of Age)

See that guy walking out? Jimmy Souza.
See how his hands shake, his shoulders jerk,
how he keeps rolling his neck?
He blinks uncontrollably, too. Stutters.
He could hit, a southpaw, but he lost a step.
Too many shots to the head, that guy.
Those will come back to haunt you.
Even one can do that to a boxer, Lan.

We take stools next to each other.
He orders two shots of Seagram’s VO,
pushes one along the bar to me.

Here in Arirang, his favorite bar,
lots of ex-boxers, my dad wishing me
Happy 18th, welcoming me to his adulthood.