day FIFTY TWO

all the good people
with cokes and ice cream cones

all the good people
with cokes and ice cream cones
are walking the george washington bridge
they are taking photos of new york city
selfies and group shots to post online
and bike riders are riding in lycra gangs
ringing their asinine bells at anyone in their way
and the joggers are getting fit
it’s seventy degrees out in february for a third day
it is so easy to smile into the face
of our own ecological damnation
ah, but the hudson river looks like melted gold
reflecting off of the sun
and manhattan shines like a wondrous emerald oz
today we are sweating as we hustle along the bridge
tomorrow there will be snow showers
and the weather will barely reach forty
and the lovers holding hands will hide inside and shiver
the wind will howl
tossing garbage cans and tree bark
the bike riders and joggers will take the bus
and all the good people
with cokes and ice cream cones
will sit in their homes and sip tea and eat soup
manhattan will turn gray again
the hudson river will get choppy
the sun will shun us like dead love
winter will make winter great again
for at least a couple of days
before it turns seventy degrees once more
and all of the people will come back outside
to walk the george washington bridge like clueless lemmings
smiling zombies waddling in end times
never thinking for a moment
how much better it could be
to simply step up on the metal ledge
and jump the hell off.

           --John Grochalski

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