futurebird's Diaryland Diary
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small town life
The trendy section of the E. Village that I walk through to get to the poetry place. (click to see the larger image)
Very quickly New York transforms into a small town. You have your favourite news stand, favourite sushi bar, favourite spot in the park, favourite seat on the train. People get to know you. The shopkeepers are quick-- as soon as they notice a ‘new local’ they start looking out for you so you come back. Like the guy at the newsstand I go to saves a copy of the economist for me and remembers that I like luckies AND a book of matches, thank you.
I don’t think I felt this at home in Pittsburgh. There, store clerks are semi-disposable. You have no idea who’ll you’ll see behind the counter or at the register.
My life these days consists mostly of the 6 train or 4. I’m an eastern girl. You’d think it’d be no big deal to get over to the W 50s to visit my brother every now and then, but going cross town is a pain-- it means a long walk or a bus-- a cab or the god-awful S-train.
Well, I have work tomorrow. So, I should sleep. But I think I’m getting sick. My neck is really sore and I can’t seem to stay in bed. It’s so hot-- and I’m still not used to all the noise of the city.
Today I saw a Japanese girl with deadlocks. And that was about enough to make me want to go back to Ohio. Still, I made a few friends today. And some people seemed to like a few of my new poems. I’ve been trying a new style. Here, I’ll show you:
I am tha god a speed
look at me, Grand Central!
You all look up, but I'm still here
old mercury with wings on my head and feet
tha god a speed
boy am I fast
noon comes, and you go to lunch
a bon pain, what a pain!
I don't eat, I'm made a stone
and I am fast
Tha god a speed!
It's six o clock and ya'll go home
hurry hurry, you'll miss the news
but up here. I'm the news! See?
and I don’t go home, I just go fast
tha god a speed.
When night comes, I'm still here!
crumbling ol mercury: god a speed
winning a race. posin’ for a photo
way up high-
above all you damn people
and your goddamed slow trains.
010813_25.html - 2000-08-13
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