I heard somewhere Keith Richards’ mixed his dad with a little blow.   
& Johnny Depp spent five million dollars to shoot  
Hunter S. Thompson’s ashes out of a cannon. 
Johnny Depp decided he wanted the arc to be higher 
than the Statue of Liberty.   

Remember when we watched My Strange Addiction 
on TLC & that woman who couldn’t stop carrying 
around her husband’s urn decided one day 
to eat his ashes?  I wonder if there’s anything left.   

Or that time we went to NOLA?  It was Sixth Circle 
of Hell hot in 1st Cemetery on that ghost tour. 
We saw Nic Cage’s weird-ass tomb. 
Why would he prepay for his own Goddamn pyramid?   

Maybe he is afraid no one will love him enough to spring 
for his 5-star digs. Maybe he wants to be remembered 
as long as Tut. I wonder if Johnnie and Nic are still 
friends? Do you think Nic saw that TLC episode too?   

I read your text today and it makes me laugh– 
Hey Mom, so you know the Grave Digger, right? 
So… I just went to the funeral of the dude who drove it 
& they put his ashes in his monster truck, revved the engine, 
& all the ashes went into the sky.   
It was fucking awesome. lol 

I guess I want to be cremated.  
Maybe I will rest on your dresser, 
or under your bed in a box, or a Pringles can. 
Dust collecting dust.  

Maybe someday you will mix me into a wrist tattoo, 
sprinkle me into the Pirates of the Caribbean ride 
at Disney World, roll me up in a blunt tight, 
pass me around, enjoy the slow burn, 

say later you planted me under an oak tree.  

Victoria Nordlund's poetry collection Wine-Dark Sea was published by Main Street Rag in 2020. She is a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize Nominee, whose work has appeared in PANK Magazine, Rust+Moth, Chestnut Review, Pidgeonholes, and elsewhere. Visit her at VictoriaNordlund.com