poem of the day 11.03.15

racial harmony

too drunk

to drive

we swerve colby’s car

down smallman street

past warehouse bars

and darkened fruit docks

a car full of empty forties rattling

for the cops

we blow cancer air

yellow smoke to make steve cough

he waves the air

dudes

dudes, he says

but it’s too cold to open a window

calvin kicking colby’s seat

with his big legs

begging me for another smoke

the night was fun, i think

mostly

the club was all right, i think

mostly

the blonde was there and we had a good time

the ex-girlfriend never showed like she threatened

and none of us had seen colby in months

he slap battles calvin

an unlit camel hanging out of his mouth

but who’s watching the road? you think

the moment of impact

the four of us

get out of the car

to some black dude in an oakland a’s hat

picking up his back bumper

from the snow-filled street

we come at him like a pack

offer help

offer to exchange information

but he just smiles and scans us cold

throws the bumper in his truck

and is gone

long gone in seconds

as we sit there idling on smallman

calvin asking the dumb question

well, what was his problem?

and....one for election day:

the politicians

mornings lately

the politicians have been out in full force

standing outside the subway stations

or lurking around the bus stops

they smile

and try to shake the hands

of the common, tired citizen

on their way to work

or the unemployment office

there is usually a republican on one side

a democrat on the other

although it is hard to tell which one

is from which party

the politicians wave at everyone

and shovel their bullshit to any victim

whose hand they can grab for more than a few seconds

they talk about their vision of america

while day dreaming those automatic pay raises

gold-plated health benefits

and all of that free congressional parking

there is a faceless handler

ubiquitously next to these golden bags of gas

it is typically some vivacious young blonde

with a warm smile and perky tits

who passes out fliers

that remind everyone when election day is coming

then every few hours

the politicians switch sides of the street

to do their dog and pony show all over again

before they disappear

into the mist

a mere myth

until the next campaign season

comes again like christmas.

                                                08.23.12