[37] Mi viejo profesor, Sarah Degner Riveros

For Gustavo Pérez-Firmat

With a self-depracating sentido
de gracia comprensiva
that understands things fall apart,
bodies age, people fail to
hit the mark or make
deadlines, he lives
on the hyphen of exile
and flirt, tied with wit
at the temple to mask
grief thinly veiled across
the eyes, more mardi
gras than pirate. A self-
proclaimed viejo verde,
young in desire, mayor
in the hips, no lie, steps
once quick as quizzes,
but the turns más lento now.