Maxim Kuzminov Dying

Far off a car alarm is screaming stop

-ping screaming screaming far off    far but here

In the garage    and farther far and up

Somebody puts a hand against an ear

To hear a voice in the other ear    he squeezes

His eyes shut    briefly    grimacing    I think

He is a man    like me my age the noise is

Impossible a    scream a scream his ink

He’s taking notes    his ink is running out

The letters breaking the    man curses slides

Open a drawer he had at    the first shot

Had turned to look I look a seagull glides

Impossible above the cars the man

Had turned to look    but when the shot repeated

He turned to the notes the yellow    pad again

Said Sorry asked    the voice to Please repeat it

In English like a chain between two boats

The seagull stops and flaps above my body

It doesn’t dive or rise    it’s taking notes

Too

        the man shuts the drawer    sighs  Now I’m ready