Richie Narvaez

I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES: DEATH #4

"Mrs. Allagash is here," Violet my secretary buzzes from the outer office, I say, "Gimme a minute," eager to tell my stunningly wealthy client how I’d confronted her husband about his plans to eighty-six her, how in the ensuing brawl I took a kick to the gut, a punch to the ear drum which still rings and rings, how we tangled over a .38, how he took 1-2-3 bullets and flatlined, I say, “Gimme a minute,” eager to tell Mrs. Allagash she was free of her greedy spouse, eager to ask her if she’d like to celebrate, night on the town, she deserves it, why not, I need that minute to check my teeth, shake the weasel, do a few pushups on the floor of the can, fix my satin tie, check for bats in the cave, blow my nose, then march to the outer door, and there’s the nubile widow splendid and platinum, and she raises her gloved hand and I raise mine to shake it, and at the same moment we both see the wet toilet paper pieces left wadded on my fingers. "I...," I say, "Gimme a minute, I..."


Richie reads "...Death #4"



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Richie confesses: "I recently re-saw Jack Palance's 1955 movie I Died a Thousand Times, and it made me wonder about what each particular death could be. This poem's death was inspired by something that happened to a friend, yeah, that's it, a friend."


RICHIE NARVAEZ is the author of the anthology Roachkiller and Other Stories and the urban thriller Hipster Death Rattle. His next book, the YA historical mystery Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco, is due out in May.