in New Mexico
on a Sony black and white TV
heard the news that Elvis Presley died
and on ABC late night, Bing Crosby eulogized
in a measured way, not speaking ill of someone he disdained
and about six weeks later, Bing finished his final round of golf
>
Elvis wasn’t present tense in certain people’s minds
since the ALOHA FROM HAWAII special in 1973
but I remember AM radio in Wichita Falls playing
his cover versions of Promised Land and Hurt
and thinking he still can sing
>
I picked up a paperback of ELVIS WHAT HAPPENED
from a drugstore book rack, glancing at certain pages
then deciding not to buy it
thinking it’s probably true but too soon to confront
>
about two months later, AM radio played Elvis singing My Way
and Elvis, approaching the end of his concert career,
prematurely performed his epitaph
>
stream that record or watch the YouTube video
to remember the promise,
the fulfillment and what remains today
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