Friday, December 4, 2009

There and Back Again


Did a Hoboken stumble
as pretext to see family,
wanted to exchange secrets;
we bartered,
and tried to puzzle out a generation's
skeletons and revelations
through crowds of teens
being cited by the badge--
Just look at 'em strut and preen!


Back across the water
I want to forget the others
Want to pull a splinter from my own eye
So I:
Knocked twice, again, once more
Had to see friends
with whom revolution is a given,
where the question is not "why"
but "how?"


And even they tell me
that nagging melancholy is best forgotten
I say: "Sorry, if I need help, 3/2 time is my psychotherapy."


But they might be right,
and later tonight
I'll take
Brooklyn high-life
under my knife--
Blunted.
Night-time boomline
has my eyes wet with moonshine


Dance a little.


Meet Stacey,
who took my lips
and told me she was married
in the same breath!


And in the night-time
she looked mighty fine
but daytime sunshine
showed me her years
and her tears:
fine wrinkles at eyelid's crease
looking for some one
so she could speak her piece


Still I wondered
why she was here
why she choked talking 9-5
and kept smoothing out her skirt
and squirming in her skin


Then, my answer:


Jersey girl
with lipstick
an inch thick
grabbed a great handful
of nappy dreads
and said:


              "Oh my God. Your hair is just too pretty!"

I say:
              "Just when the fuck did white folks decide that shit
                was okay?"
Anyway,
It's 8:30 am
Sunlight pouring in
on me--last man standing, come undone
Parted ways with the fray
got lost in Israel as only Brooklyn does it


Tried to find some cigarettes
but people
"Don't smoke here! A very good thing!"
Exclaimed the store manager to me
as I pressed him
on where I could find some smokes


Asked for some
water, aspirin
to beat away the billy club
battering my brain


He forced a grin
Asked me,
told me,
you haven't slept yet my friend.

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