memorial day 1966, pittsburgh

for allen leroy butler, first clarinet, 1963

across the streetcar tracks
& cobblestones
came the ill-fitted
heavy felted
orange & brown band uniforms
of the oliver high school bears
plastic brimmed hats shading a little of the sun
sweat pouring off my hands
making the clarinet keys
wet & greasy
striking up another
john sousa march
without the jingo commitment
just a few months before
band member graduate
     allen leroy butler
     died in vietnam
     his long brown
     benny goodman fingers
     forever leading the woodwind section
     from strauss to leonard bernstein
     his first chair
     my mentor
     his happy eyes
     my last image

--- e b bortz

(published in earth notes and other poems, Least Bittern Books, 2015)