Wednesday, April 13, 2005

From my Past Pages, Part Two

Originally published in The Ever-Flowing Stream, The National Library of Poetry.
(1997 Edition, 3rd Place).

Crossing Pulaski
By Mac

I drop you off at Lawrence and Pulaski
among the Korean shops, corner cleaners
Mayfield's food and liquor
and the fantasy adult bar
And the car reeks of smoke and coffee
as parking lot dust blows through the cracked window
the sun glares into my eyes
and my hangover pulses harder
And I'm startled by the tinkle of a rolling forty
the crinkle of a garbage bag
and the blast of a Toyota all at once
And everyone's trying to get somewhere
three small Asian boys running for the light
that bag lady pulling her cart into the alley
the bus driver bearing down on a slow Cadillac
But I just want to sit here a little while and smoke
watch you cross Pulaski with that heel 'n' toe walk
see the wind catch up your blazer and flip your hair back
and breathe in the exhaust the dust the sun the smoke the you

(for C.K.)

5 comments:

Shiya said...

Wow!!! Damn, Mac, I wish I could write poetry like this!

Mac said...

Why thank you.

Aren't you supposed to stay off the net at work? Naughty, naughty!

Shiya said...

It was early, I needed to see what was happening in the world...
Who is CK?

Mac said...

C.K.=Calvin Klein. It's an ode to blue jeans. Ha ha. Someone in my past.

Shiya said...

"Someone in my past" is not answer enough. I figured as much. Who from your past???? Details, I want details!!