Ducking Francine 1998

for Ward and Brian

Me and Ward, we
didn’t have shit.

We took our best guitars,
we took our best song,

we took
the best singing

we had in us,
and we brought them all

down to Brian Hicks.
The best guy we knew.

He recorded
Ducking Francine for us

in a living room
on Park Street

20 years ago,
on the best budget

we had.

A lot of things
have gone to hell

since then,
but, Brian

isn’t one of them.
And, while I can’t

speak for Ward,
personally, I

feel like
I can tell you,

without reservation,
I do not, to

this day, give
a great goddamn

whether you think
the song

sounds good
or not.

–April 6, 2019

Happy birthday, Ward Morford, and love to you, Brian Hicks.