Monday, June 15, 2009

Monday, June 15, 2009: On the Street…Seventh Ave. & 23rd St, NYC

Unmentionables

So much of city life depends upon
An ability to overlook,

To look past the unmentionables:
The tarry spots of gum

On the cement, so near to one’s toes;
Sirens and yelping brakes,

Two versions of mechanical weeping;
A man curled like a caterpillar

In his sleeping bag, coat over garbage
For a pillow; the near

Death experiences of cyclists at which
They barely flinch.

Learn to distance yourself with, say,
A sweetened coffee

That you swirl in your hand like a cocktail,
An iPod to redesignate

Background noise, and look out on all of it
Your kingdom, your village.

1 comment

  1. She looks as she is off to a pool party.

    LOVE: "two versions of mechanical weeping."

    ReplyDelete

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