we love george washington 

we love george washington,
his skull growing cherry tress
from each tooth's nest.
so so many, all of him,
all the george washingtons
across the country, portrait 
neck up, portrait tall,
portrait face, portrait with mary,
cannon bloom & crossing the delaware;
the water: viper cold & stinging.

your family loves george washington
& so does mine & so does everyone's.
what's not to love about fathers?
leaving offerings: bowls of bayonets
& gun powder & folded federalist papers

all george washingtons came down 
from their frames tonnight, 
statues blinking & stretching their ankles,
testing their bodies. i notice, so 
i follow them, all of them
gathering in the backyard, why
my backyard? they won't all fit.

in 7th grade my teacher said 
george washington wasn't a good looking man,
he said that his face was scared & he 
was gangly & too tall. 

the george washingtons compliment 
each other, they hold arms up, 
touch chins; they inspect. they tell 
the same war stories we love 
love love george washington.

because of the crowding
i march them to the bridge with 
their name. they ask why there's 
nets on the sides & i explain 
the impulse to jump. before i could
finish one had already gone,

arms out like a goose, falling
heavy & without a sound. all the cars
on the two levels of the bridge
still rushing in & out, we love
george washington we love him 

but they kept dropping, kissing
each other goodbye, i regretted
showing them, i told them to stop,
to stay, i said 
george washington we all love
you, we love love love you
the impact in the water inaudible 
over tires & car horns

the last one was half my size &
he lingered, pacing for a moment,
a smaller likeness. i told him
that my father's favorite president
is george washington.
he wept, the largeness of it
all was too much, i didn't try 
to stop him.