dress rehearsal

draw the curtains against the afternoon sun 
and unloaded

remove the magazine

make space on the duvet and dry brush the chamber
and the barrel brushing

in a chamber to muzzle direction, removing large carbon
and iron

fouling from the bore. reach for the beer
and tip the last tepid remains back

replacing the empty bottle
on the nightstand.

place a cleaning patch dipped in bore
solvent on the tip of your cleaning rod 

push the cleaning patch through the barrel
and out the other side

get up grab a new beer
from the small bar fridge you keep for emergencies

saturate the chamber and the bore surface.
avoid pulling it back. this will deposit

gore. dirt and gunk. back into the
bore

allow the solvent to break down bore fouling
for a few minutes

while you knock back on the cold beer.

check through a chink in the curtains that no-one has come home
the neighbours are still out

the only sound the sound
of now. use the bore brush to scrub the inside of the barrel

knocking back on the beer as often as you like
in between brushing

using a new dry patch to remove any residue
keep it running through the bore until the patch

comes back clean. stare at the white wall
making patterns in your mind. conversations

then. use a pull-through tool impregnated
with negative connotations

solvent, such as a bore-snake

to further clean and treat the bore surface
against corrosion. cleanliness is

next. clean the exterior of the barrel. barrel lug. feed ramp.

remember what it was like the first time
how she

you need to clean and lubricate more than just the barrel of the gun.
you need to clean and lubricate the action

you need another beer. you walk around the empty house
with all the curtains drawn. music

the action, slide. pump. bolt. use a nylon utility brush. dry cloth
old t-shirt that she once

dont you. spray the action liberally from the top of the frame/
receiver

allowing carbon and metal debris to drip into the drippan
the shimmer of the heat of the taste of her skin

use the manufacturer’s recommendations for your particular model
allow the cleaned subassemblies to dry.

use a towel. use a beer
use the used pieces of your heart

lastly. use a needle applicator to precisely apply
lubricant drops

at the specified lubrication points of her smile
in the afternoon light the sound of cars passing

the ocean washing up at your feet. the bodies of memories
the mystery of the moon. the frame/action

the slide assembly. the exterior of the barrel

dont forget the magazines. the pictures the times she took
more than you can

drain the last of the sixpack leave the bottles where they
lie

special purpose brushes are available. use extra care
during disassembly and reassembly as magazine followers

are spring loaded.
are summer fun. are autumn’s decaying
of the angel

reassemble the method
and perform a functional

check. leave the curtains closed
the sleeping dogs