Section 60

the wind blows
most days in
section 60
children &
mothers &
fathers &
wives &
you
leave
small stones
on white marble
so others will know
and rub the name
with blue crayola
for the fridge

the sobs muffled
by iron bells
and you listen
like something will
change
like the wind will
blow it away
like tears of angels
on white marble
might
make a difference.
_________________________________________________________

…a mercedes benz

sometimes a singer
comes along
that just sings
no dubbing
backup singers
or a wall of amps

sometimes janis
sang the blues
that made you smile
accompanied by
only a stick
and my foot
tapping
30 years later
________________________________________________________

there is not much
difference between

i walk
the early morning
streets
as they rise
from cardboard doorways
& begin the ritual
of flipping lids
looking for food
not breaking
the stride as they walk
down geary
there is not much
difference between
them and me
maybe a step
or two

in this mist
i remember you called
me sad and lonesome
the day you slid
your toothbrush
in its plastic case
used the word
never a lot

there is not much
difference between
you and me
between sad
and lonesome
maybe a step
or two
maybe
nothing
___________________________________________________________

from the book of quotations

little phrases just stick
with you like–
if you want something
to cry about
I will give you something…

after too many years
I never answer
rhetorical questions
I can still see him
standing over me
like I was stupid
enough to say
fuck yeah I want
something…

it is not hard to discover
something to cry about
I have been
fairly successful
finding it on my own

but do you think
if he would have said

if you want something
to smile about
I’ll give you something…
it would have been
different?

 

 

Sometimes Scot puts dollars in the jukebox and buys rounds for the old men sitting at the end of the bar.