Ode to my beloved Westside.

Overpass

Rain

Overpass

Rain

Carpenter on the corner of lane and 2nd without work

Eyes bloodshot

We give him hope, he never calls

Brooke nurtures her children behind the hedge 

Waves

"Hey I like your boots"

I thank him, my eyes rolling in my mind at his swag his flattery his shaky hand because I know

"Hey can I ask you a question?"

Is coming next. It does. 

I hurry to the Secretary of State the stale building on fultons corner

And watch him stumble off with alcohol feet

Two months ago a firebomb broke into a glass window on 6th street

Shattering safety

Some gang member intent on destruction

The ten people who lived inside have evacuated and now remain somewhere, traumatized. The abandoned home boarded up, smells like smoke. 

I can almost see the house from my front door. 

I hear an engine fumble slowly by straining for movement and watch his lips part

His tongue is pink

I hear a dog whine 

Whine, 

Whine 

He looks me up and down behind his sunglasses I can tell by the smile the slowed gas pedal

I feel i have naked legs yet no skin shows 

Plant pees slowly onto the concrete as I scurry inside 

The dog whines and with it whittles the westside neighborhood a song 

They find a native american indian 

joe black

His body on the train tracks Wednesday mornin

Questions are asked why was he there passed out? Asleep? How could you not hear the roar in the afternoon or hear the train engineer struggle with the breaks to stop it rolling 

The homeless mourn and drink and remember his long black ponytail and corny humor 

Chelsea tells me he always used to say when asked "how ya doin?" "Oh just hangin out like a wet booger." 

The city places a bright orange sticker too securely on the spray painted neon green Herst parked across the street from our home. Two woman live there, the one putters around in the garden and parks obnoxious vehicles along our street. A manican stands tall under fluorescent lights against the wall through their window, I can see it from my porch

A white dog whines and whittles the neighborhood a song

My plant pees.