Crossroads

in the city, it's hard work finding a crossroads -
the right mix of magic and midnight desolation;
my friend from New Orleans, John Sinclair,
told me how (never mind where it is)....
when the time was right, i sat on a pair of
plastic milk crates next to a dead fire hydrant,
pretended to work on a piece.
didn't hear her walk up,
didn't ask her name
didn't have to.
she said "read me something about being in love
and being alone."
i started, and she opened her throat,
poured music over the words -
tear-stained siren song,
stung my eyes, burned a hole in my chest.
she held my head, pressed my ear to her stomach
but i kept going till the words ran out and i started over
and the MUSIC
(god, her hands were warm)
the music
(on my neck, wet like tongues)
the music....
our voices mated, fused, faded to whispers.
stopped.
we slowly untangled,
she strolled off into the night, heels tapping,
my fingerprints on her legs
my face wet from her song.
with each step the city intruded,
filled the vacuum with noise and stench
till it wasn't my corner anymore.
it was hard work finding this crossroads
but i got a cab, moved on.
never mind where it was.

another enroute poem

too early in the morning,
on the cusp of hungry and fatigued.
step over the python-sized hoses
wriggling through the underpass,
up the wet steps.
one side shut down for maintainence,
station flooded with diesel rumbling,
throttling up and down in cycles -
a low E; A; E -
the noise of factories,
the double-shift growling blue collar serenade
of old industry
shoved down into the bowels
upsetting the rats under the rails;
this is a roar i could sleep to - cityman's lullaby
(gotta fight it).
waiting,

(old man bent double held together by wrinkles
testifying about the ghosts of holy Teamsters
the glory days of Yellow Cab
the evils wrought by Mayor Jane,
trying to sell a Tribune 26 hours old. half price)

waiting,
for the clattering of cars,
the moving diversion from weekend purgatory (again),
moving so i don't have to think about
the ash taste i'm taking to bed, again.
waiting.