Nondescript Elegy for Paul Newman

You may put dirt in his sewn mouth now,
if that be your will.

In the movies, he was criminal,
gambler, lover, rancher, racer,

vindictive, kind, poetic,
jittery, calm, careful, reckless.

We are here to bury Cesar not praise him.
He would not appreciate the praise.

You may put dirt on his face now,
dirt being the glory we all wait for

while up in the sky the birds fly
and jealously guard their bird’s eye view.