KATHLEEN’S ADVICE

   by Dick Bakken

I remember
after Dan came back from Vietnam
he sat around the kitchen
all spring in his jockey shorts
poking at an egg.
Finally he looked at me,
said, “I’m depressed. I want
to be married
but don’t know any girls.”
“Well, why don’t you
get dressed up and comb that hair.
Take a brisk jaunt downtown,
see if you can
find anyone might like
to marry you.” Damn! if he didn’t
bounce up spiffy all Saturday
at A.J.’s Department Store grinning
“Don’cha wanna marry me?”
Then he thumbed
home and threw off his clothes
to spin like this world.
He’d laughed it
out of his system, mussed his hair,
and felt like sailing
waffles over the neighbor’s
collie.