I called a man today. After he said br hello and I said hello came a pause br during which it would have been br br confusing to say hello again so I said br how are you doing and guess what, he said br fine and wondered aloud how I was br br and it turns out I’m OK. He br was on the couch watching cars br painted with ads for Budweiser follow cars br br painted with ads for Tide around an oval br that’s a metaphor for life because br most of us run out of gas and settle br br for getting drunk in the stands br and shouting at someone in a t-shirt br we want kraut on our dog. I said br br he could have his job back and during br the pause that followed his whiskers br scrubbed the mouthpiece clean br br and his breath passed in and out br in the tidal fashion popular br with mammals until he broke through br br with the words how soon thank you br ohmyGod which crossed his lips and drove br through the wires on the backs of ions br br as one long word as one hard prayer br of relief meant to be heard br by the sky. When he began to cry I tried br br with the shape of my silence to say br I understood but each confession br of fear and poverty was more awkward br br than what you learn in the shower.