Travis McGee is Alive and Real to Me

Travis McGee
is alive and real to me.
He still lives at Bahia Mar
in Fort Lauderdale,
where I used to drive by
now and then.
I wanted to turn in
and check out slip F-18,
maybe catch a glimpse
of the Busted Flush
or Meyer
in the Maynard B Keyes
next door.
Ah, but I never did. 
I never wanted to play
with the illusion.
It is enough to know
they are there.

There is no doubt
but that Hawkeye
is in an operating room somewhere.
No longer in Korea,
but still doctoring,
still wise-cracking.
But, for sure,
he is just as real as can be.

Somewhere
in New Jersey
Tony Soprano is still
running around in
his Cadillac heading
back to the ‘Bing.
Chris is gone, of course,
as is Sil, but even that
is hard to believe sometimes,
but not that Tony is there –
for he is there without a doubt.

Andy Sipowitz retired
from the 15th. 
He works as head of security now
for an electronic firm.
Connie works for the VP
of marketing now and Greg Medavoy
is Andy’s second in command.
There is no doubt
but that they are still there.

Hopalong?
No, I guess that was too long ago.
Long gone now
but still revered.

All of these people
and so many others
who have enriched my life
in ways that many will find
silly perhaps. 
But I don’t care.  They are real
to me and no one
can make me feel
any other way.

All my old friends;
all my old friends.

Michael Mathews
Jan 1, 2016
In the RV somewhere
near Home – wherever,
whatever that might be.
1:20 PM