the city might explode,a single stare or slight
and whoosh! the hucksters
lining Howard street
with their china girl
and boosted dvds will
tumble into a catalytic
clysm, an end all and be all
heat rising from sunparched
asphalt and peanut shells
and the sultry ammonia
of morning piss
i feel the tension
in the airless air
the vacuum of the subway
tunnel the covey of youth
wise-talking at the bus
stop slouching towards
night and cool and
the bullhorn of jesus
from the sinnerless
man passing out tracts
on the corner.
***
Inspiration: It hit 100 degrees today in downtown Baltimore, and edginess palpated the air. This, a collection of images and smells and thoughts walking the blocks to my office.
This poem is my small contribution to the continuing LANGUAGE > PLACE Blog Carnival. The current all-poetry issue POETRY IN PLACE is hosted by the effervescent Walter Bjorkman, an amazing wordsmither, at his digs QUIK-BAKE SYNTHETICS. Please, take a gander and wander across the globe for poetry which will make you giddy.
In the good news department, two of my poems made the Robert Brewer's Top 50 Poems from the April Poem-A-Day Challenge -- Greetings from Motel 6 (Lucky #13) and The Kissing Tree (#32). This is the fourth year I've participated in the April PAD, and I enjoy the comraderie with exceptional poets, as well as the chance to play with words for the sheer fun of it.
Write hard, live harder, love hardest, and stay cool. Peace...
Posts
Congrats on the poems. I'm a huge fan of your poetry, so I'm not at all surprised by your placing.
ReplyDeleteTake this one for example. I can feel the heat of the morning settling on the city. Catalytic clysm. I love that.
I feel quite dry and uninspired as well. Just slogging trough. Perhaps that's the best time to do the "housekeeping" work.
I also loved "catalytic clysm" ...
ReplyDelete[tried to trip Laurita so I could get here and say it first, but she's a slippery minx she is.]
congrats on making the top 50 poems. that was some pretty stiff competition. very cool.
*BIG SMILE*
Hello, I'm visiting from the blog carnival. I love the images of "slouching towards night" and "the bullhorn of Jesus." I can almost feel the heat.
ReplyDeleteLinda, I can more than feel the heat here, I can Smell it, and oh, does it stink! (Which means the poem is heavenly of course). :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations lovely lady!
Linda- I love this piece. Congratulations on your placing over at Poetic Asides. I've been there 4 years as well... and am also your fellow traveler at lang/place carnival!
ReplyDeleteI can feel the heat of the city, like I'm there. I love the subway line especially. Such memories.
ReplyDelete