sonnet

life goes by on a new york city sky
times square stands eternal in its neon
fiber optic capitalistic glow
stealing our lady’s thunder and her torch
liberty’s pride turned green with her envy
her huddled masses turned bargain shoppers
her homeless turned upper west side apart-
ment owning stock market billionaires
why talk of melting pots when the gas is off?
the only thing left boiling these days is
a subway platform in the summer heat
just another thing to complain about
as she sits there sipping her glass of wine
calling out the great new york city lie

126 E. 13th Street

The rain fell like gunfire
And I watched you duck and dodge,
Bob and weave,
Seek shelter in that drug store
Bunker across the street
Your dress, a flack jacket marred
By each water droplet wound
And your combat heels, ruined
With each daring leap across
Roadway rivers and into
The blue vinyl embrace of
A taxi idling like a sentry,
A knight in yellow armor

You surrender, admit defeat,
And let the meter run