Wednesday, December 05, 2001

Poem - Chicago Midway

Chicago Midway

05.Dec.2001

some very strange cowboys

chinese, african, hawaiian ones

real or pseudo rodeo participants

or some obscure club from out of town

little dogs trailed along and even cats

all boxed and carefully accounted for

polish or east european

cleaning ladies chattering in their native tongue

african american security people

filled with the vigor of the empowered

loud in their insecurity

the occasional 10 wends her way down the concourse

an eddy of desire in her wake

a really big guy with a funny christmas hat

careful don’t laugh 

he takes Christmas serious obviously

this is the diversity of america

many retaining their native language

some exhibiting their bad temper

like the smokers 

corralled in an external wire cage

echoes of the gulag apparent

watch them make their way there

cigarette in hand ready for the fix

compliance with the local ordinance

reinforced by a stern warning message

fragments of conversations from passers-by

cell and earpiece in place 

oblivious to the rest of us

intent on their public private conversation

shared with us 

voyeurs

our day in chicago midway

better than tv

the real life taste

tangible in the air