Monday, March 21, 2005

decline

this decline from middle class
to a place less brightly lit
long days lost in narrow streets
between ancient bordered brick
to find my cracked stucco walk up

climb those dark sooted stairs
hard steps I rise to view bleak
alleys lined with dirty dented
dumpsters spilling loose waste
boldly to vagrant pools of
homeless piss running gently
from crudely boarded doorways
where flies buzz and feed
on randomly aged excrement
and taco bell treats of spurted puke

I wipe the wonder of
whose used condom
there dangling from my
tired steel toed boot 
resting now lifeless on
my welcome mat wanting
only for swift revival


at last, I'm here, home
at my torridly torpid room
bearably safe from this
last little patrolled lost corner
of enraged desperate city
after crackers and bread
I  shower cold stained as
water drains past my ankles


I pull the cord and kill the
swaying light bulb clinging
from wire nuts to the cracked
and peeling damp ceiling
pulling back thin sheets I
lay my boots and body down


-dp-
3-21-15

..........................

that night
I thought
you passed
near my
neighborhood

I thought
you thought
of me

another
neighbor
no neighbor
might remember
to recall

....................

tired,
tired of all this
tired of being tired
tired of being old

I put my pillow to my face
and weep.
I press my pillow to my face
and sob.

-dp-
3-21-15

carefully peer around
the flowered sheet
that I call a curtain I
peer over the lintel

until late report by some
a citizen of conscience
passing through with
blue-tooth cell en-route
to a better station on life
to a part of town
in a car newer than
any I'll ever know
in leather waxed seats
they report incidentally 
a happenstance happening 
passing by mistake through
my so called neighborhood
no neighbor will remember
to know


out the window
the flowered sheet
tacked to thI call

I venture to pull back
and peer cautiously

until late report by some
citizen of conscience
passes through with a
blue-tooth cell phone
once en-route to a
better station on life
to a part of town
in a car newer than
any I'll ever know
in leather waxed seats
they report incidentally 
a happenstance happening

and
brighten its corners and
edges with red circling
squad car dome light
and ski floods from helicopters



555555555555555555
decline

this decline from middle class
to a place less brightly lit on
long days lost in narrow streets
between ancient bordered brick
to find my cracked stucco walk
up those dark stairs and sooted
gray I rise to view bleak alleys
lined with dirty dented dumpsters                        > viscous
spilling loose waste boldly to                                               
vagrant pools of homeless
urine gently running from
crudely boarded doorways
where flies flies buzz and feed                                   >buzzing flies sampling weeks        
on randomly aged excriment                   >and human feces and random
and taco bell treats of spurted puke                   > and treats of taco bell spurted puke

I wipe the wonder of
whose used condom
just dangling from my                                     > has
tired steel toed boot                                          >work
resting now lifeless on                                 >and now clings lifeless
my welcome doormat
wanting only revival

at last, I'm here, home
in my torrid torpid room
bearably safe from this
little patrolled lost corner                                     >colld
of enraged desperate city
after crackers and bread
a cold shower of stained
water drains from my ankles

I pull the cord and kill the
swaying light bulb clinging
from wire nuts to the cracked
and peeling damp ceiling
pulling back thin sheets I
lay my boots and body down

..........................

that night
I thought
you passed
near my
neighborhood

I thought
you thought
of me

another
neighbor
no neighbor
might remember
to recall

....................

tired,
tired of all this
tired of being tired
tired of being old
I put my pillow to my face
and weep.
I press my pillow to my face
and sob.

-dp-
3-21-15

carefully peer around
the flowered sheet
that I call a curtain I
peer over the lintel

until late report by some
a citizen of conscience
passing through with
blue-tooth cell en-route
to a better station on life
to a part of town
in a car newer than
any I'll ever know
in leather waxed seats
they report incidentally 
a happenstance happening 
passing by mistake through
my so called neighborhood
no neighbor will remember
to know


out the window
the flowered sheet
tacked to thI call

I venture to pull back
and peer cautiously

until late report by some
citizen of conscience
passes through with a
blue-tooth cell phone
once en-route to a
better station on life
to a part of town
in a car newer than
any I'll ever know
in leather waxed seats
they report incidentally 
a happenstance happening

and
brighten its corners and
edges with red circling
squad car dome light
and ski floods from helicopters                                      > flood lights


4444444444444444444
decline

this decline from middle class
to a place less brightly lit
long days lost on narrow streets
between ancient bordered brick
to my stucco cracked walk up
with stairs dark and sooted gray
I rise to view bleak alleys lined
with viscous dented dumpsters
spilling unbagged waste boldly
to vagrant pools of homeless
urine gently running from
crudely boarded doorways
buzzing flies sampling weeks
of human feces and random
treats of taco bell spurted puke.

I wipe the wonder of
whose used condom
has dislodged from my
tired steel toed work boot
and now clings lifeless
to my doormat wanting
revival

I'm here, at last, home safe
in my torrid torpid room
ceaselessly lost in this
less patrolled cold corner
of a ragged desperate city
after crackers, bread, a cold
shower in stained water

I pull the cord to kill
the swaying bulb clinging
by wire nuts from the cracked
and peeling ceiling.
then,  pulling back thin sheets
I lay my boots and body down

..........................

that night
I thought
you passed
near my
neighborhood

I thought
you thought
of me

another
neighbor
no neighbor
might remember
to recall

....................

tired,
tired of all this
tired of being tired
tired of being old
I pull my pillow to my face
and weep.
I press my pillow to my face
and sob.

-dp-
3-21-15


33333333333333333333
this decline from middle class
to a place less brightly lit
long days on narrow streets
lost in bordered ancient brick                                >between
the stucco cracked walk up
my stairs dark in sooty gray                               >with dirty black
I rise to view alleys lined                                 >the
by dented viscous dumpsters                     >sticky dented /with
spilling boldly on  to vagrant                       > over /onto?
pools of homeless urine
running gently from crudely
boarded doorways buzzed
by flies sampling week old
human feces and random
treats of taco bell puke.

I wipe the wonder of
whose used condom
has dislodged from my
steel toed boot and now
clings lifeless to my mat                                               >wiped on to my doormat

I'm here home safe
in my torpid torrid room
ceaselessly lost in my
less patrolled corner
of this ragged city
lafter crackers and bread
I pull the cord to kill
the swaying bulb
hung by wire nuts
from the cracked ceiling.
pulling back thin sheets
I lay my boots and body down


that night                                                     >by mistake
I thought
you passed
near my                                                         >so called
neighborhood

I thought
you thought
of me

another
neighbor
no neighbor
would remember                                                 >would might
to know

tired,
tired of all this
tired of being tired
tired of being old
I pull my pillow to my face
and weep.
I press my pillow to my face
and sob.

ppppppppppppppppppppppppp
carefully peer around
the flowered sheet
that I call a curtain I
peer over the lintel

I wipe and wonder whose
used condom has wandered
to my doormat dislodged
from my steel toed boot.


until late report by some
a citizen of conscience
passing through with
blue-tooth cell en-route
to a better station on life
to a part of town
in a car newer than
any I'll ever know
in leather waxed seats
they report incidentally 
a happenstance happening 
passing by mistake through
my so called neighborhood
no neighbor will remember
to know


out the window
the flowered sheet
tacked to thI call

I venture to pull back
and peer cautiously

until late report by some
citizen of conscience
passes through with a
blue-tooth cell phone
once en-route to a
better station on life
to a part of town
in a car newer than
any I'll ever know
in leather waxed seats
they report incidentally 
a happenstance happening

and
brighten its corners and
edges with red circling
squad car dome light
and ski floods from helicopters                                      > flood lights

111111111111111111111111111
human feces buzzed by feeding
flies in boarded doorways
the wonder of whose used
condom has wandered to my 
doormat traveling on the sole
of my worn steel toe boot.

hear the less patrolled
until reported by some
citizen of concience
passing with bluetooth
cell enroute to a better                           >passing by en rout to a better       >another
part of the city in a car
newer than any I'll  know                                    /own/ ever
reports incidentaly 
to a happenstance                               >calls to /newer/to aid
passing my neighborhood
no neighbor will remember
to know


I pull the cord to kill
the bulb which sways                                     / light
on its wire from my
ceiling
carefully pulling back
the flbowered sheet
peer to the alley
below
every late night
an end


out the window
the flowered sheet
tacked to thI call

I venture to pull back
and peer cautiously



and
brighten its corners and
edges with red circling
squad car dome light
and ski floods from helicopters                                      > flood lights


ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
this decline from middle class
to streets less brightly lit
in days of narrow streets
bordered  between ancient brick
and stucco cracked walk up stairs
above alleys lined with dirty
dented dumpers overspilling
onto homeless vagrant urine
human feces buzzed by feeding
flies in boarded doorways
the wonder of whose used
condom has wandered to my 
doormat travelling on the sole
of my worn steel toe boot.

hear the less patroled
until reported by some
citizen of concience
passing with bluetooth
cell enroute to a better                           >passing by en rout to a better       >another
part of the city in a car
newer than any I'll  know                                    /own/ ever
reports incidentaly 
to a happenstance                               >calls to /newer/to aid
passing my neighborhood
no neighbor will remember
to know


I pull the cord to kill
the bulb which sways                                     / light
on its wire from my
ceiling
carefully pulling back
the flbowered sheet
peer to the alley
below
every late night
an end


out the window
the flowered sheet
tacked to thI call

I venture to pull back
and peer cautiously



and
brighten its corners and
edges with red circling
squad car dome light
and ski floods from helicopters                                      > flood lights





p-
4-17-15

No comments: