identity

i remember an old acquaintance
who had three years to live some
10 years ago (kidney failure). he
once gave me the coordinates to
a patch of arizona desert where
he stayed some years prior. the
spot was marked by all his insulin
needles stuck into a saguaro cactus.
there in the ground he had buried
his i.d. and social security card
and $20. he said that he wanted
me to steal his identity after he died.
i wish i'd kept those coordinates
and lived a better life so i could
afford a car to go out there.
i want to see where the cactus
grows over the needles,
and becomes something else.

Pushcart nominated author. Poet laureate of railroad tracks and greasy spoons. Marty Shambles lives in Texas and has a GED.