Poetry

Chocolate Waters

gentleman caller

outdoor café corner of 9th ave.
plenty of empty aluminum chairs and tables
for everyone
may I join you he asks
sits down
i read
he reads
an hour passes
thank you for the use of your chair he says
departs
i watch him disappear across 57th street
his tiny yellow walkman in place
fresh dry cleaned shirts blowing in their plastic covers
now that's the kind of company I like

karma/shmarma

those 2 other times
we weren't supposed to meet
you might as well have been
a bug
at my feet
for all the attention i
flicked at you
why now
when
i deserve someone willing
to meet
me
evenly
raise me higher
as i'd like to do
for you silly violet
we've spent our lives vying
for position
trying
to get bigger
it's been trying
not to get smaller
you listened
to that horseshit
posed for it
married it
suffered thru it
birthed it
loved it/loathed it
stop it
silly violet
stop shrinking