the street’s growing

shadows for my

friend. The woman rattling

her bag who

has no home is for

you. I never knew

there’s so many

trees on this street.

She whispers. Talking

to what’s in her

bag or her

phone. Charley sniffs

Alice we wanted

you home &

you are. Alice my dog’s toes

clutch this life.

You don’t try hard

for poetry. Birds

chirp. You’re in it.

If I loved you

all my life

am I lover,

Chinatown truck

covered with

decals and

a flag, and the

next car’s

cluck-clock

says no that’s a friend.

Charley’s attentive

to the world.

The world is soft

today. Each dog

barking

at new things

his shirt and pants

are green

but different

green. Just

when I thought the

world wore

buds his

wires are

dangling. Grafitti

frequently

layered. A pool blue

and a darker

Persian

blue like Bernadette.

I’m glad

I don’t

believe

our friends

are all together

at some party.

What party. Having

a fight.

The fight is here.

I must be mourning cause

I can’t

ask for anything

I can’t

set anything up

I can’t

fulfill

a need

She’s moved

re positions

slightly

talking away

her hair

is big

tall but it has

that orthodox

lady wig

look but country

western.

Whoever is receiving

her conversation

is a speck

at the bottom

of her bag

but that speck

is god. You had

a philosophy

about mothers

but they weren’t

all the same

even you weren’t

the greens

aren’t the same

the barks are different

each person entering

the shadows in a new

way comes out

into the sun

it’s morning in New York

somebody’s coughing

my mother wanted

to go

but she said

god doesn’t want

me yet. I said

does god

love you mom

oh yes very much

I don’t know your philosophy

of god

would be interesting and

important. It would

change very much.

I wrote a poem

about the wind

once

a kind of deity

and it might

be like that. One day.

Even one part

of a day.

Nobody had as much

time for poetry

as you. There’s something

boy scout

badge about the awards

for people who want

to make sure

they’re reading

the winners

but you need

to waste time

for poetry

you could have

your high pressure

moment

just a splash

go in there

rat tat tat

but time is no kind of

reward

it’s not quite

punishment

you had just this

much. And you

used it.

I always use you.

I use my car

to charge

my phone.

I’m leaving it on

in the sun.