Johnny Bucyk

Mark wonders about Johnny
Bucyk, left wing for the Boston
Bruins, circa the late 1960s
To judge from the poster of him
In uniform, skates, sideburns
And brylcreem on the wall
Of the south desert sports bar.
He's posing for a face off.
He looks pretty damn proud,
The year 2014 unimaginable
To him, to anyone then.
1984, 1999, 2000, 2001,
Sure, even stardate 2121,
Or whatever was either
Close enough or far enough
Away, but not today, not
An ordinary, boring future
That features his semi-anonymous
Poster as kitsch memorabilia
For a nationally franchised grill
Out in the worst country
For ice hockey this side
Of the Sahara. Johnny,
Johnny, are you still with us
Still full of some kind
Of steel-bladed hope?
Will your kids or your grand kids
Or any descendants someday find
The tattered remnants of your pose
Inside the long-condemned ruins
Of this suburban dump, you dope?