poem of the day 01.13.14

almost shakespearian

he says there’s too much blood

always too much blood, he shouts

into the brutal january cold

is he talking to me? i wonder

but then he starts pacing at the bus stop

they had me, he screams, for years they had me

where? where? i wonder

where in the hell did they have you?

everyone else seems to have moved away

and i worry that it would seem untoward if i did too

so i stand there like it ain’t nothing

waiting for a bus that’ll be late as always

a knife

a knife, he shouts

holding both hands toward the sky

it’s almost shakespearian in a way

maybe he’s an actor

though he seems too crazy even for the acting set

he’s in floods and a canvas coat

has three strands of hair left across the top of his head

and they’re blowing in the wind

it’s his red carpet get-up

and then there’s so much blood

i start to take a step back

but the bus is in the distance

so i buckle down

and hope this guy’s got nothing more in him

than this soliloquy

maybe i hope he’s not taking my bus

and they had me

they had me, he screams again

when the bus arrives

had you where?  i want to shout

i get on the bus pretty quickly

and sure enough he’s right behind me

huffing and almost out of breath

i tell the bus driver, man, we’re in for it

you watch my back and i’ll watch yours

but he just looks at me like i’m dog shit

don’t say i didn’t warn you, pal

i tell my reflection in his mirrored shades

then i head toward the back

hoping shakespeare doesn’t follow

the bus is close to empty

there’s one other lunatic aggressively licking his lips

and making appetizers out of his boogers

he’s muttering to himself too

maybe it’s something from marlowe

my crazy takes a seat right across from this one

and i expect explosions in the sky

but instead they shake hands

and start talking about the weather

how the jets and giants both blew it this year

just like two normal dullards going home

from a normal dullard job

while i sit there and think to myself

how this conversation suddenly seems insane

moaning to myself

they got me, they finally got me

as the bus starts up stillwell avenue

carrying us crazies off to our own calvary