Wednesday, January 11, 2012

city magnum

in the little rolling box
bumpy high-speed turns
after the holidays
tourists have evaporated

long hair, long stockings
gets on the tiny bus
sits, crosses her legs
very long stockings

guy sits opposite
we’re only three
facing each other
she talks, says a bad word

says a major multi bad phrase
the guy listens
watching her legs
she says more bad

words in obvious anger
he asks “husband?”
she says, “brother.”
here’s my stop

she leaves also
began as strangers
ciao-ciao, ciao-ciao, ciao
part like family

shake it off
just another trip
into city magnum
happens like often

3 comments:

Hannah Stephenson said...

Hey, sometimes major multi bad phrases are warranted, right?

Love this little vignette. It needs an illustration now!!

Marja said...

Very descriptive Give you a glimpse into city live. Nicely done

When I am lucky we will go for a couple of days to Rome with my mum
and son on an organised trip I am looking forwards to it

jack sender said...

thanks for looking
and for the comments.

I want to comment that
I don’t’ like “happens like often.”
it doesn’t sit well with me,
I don’t speak like that . . .

however it is so much an indication of the times that I left it.

there was a plan to write this poem in threes.
groups of three words,
I noticed it, thought about it, then didn’t work on it,
I didn’t make it a priority, it was just a passing thought and not a serious one.

so i was on my way today to toss out “happens like often”
then read this again and liked
“here’s my stop”,”
parts like family”,
then ”happens like often” just squeaked out.

so this note signifies little more than notification
that I still think about these that I write,
even when they’re out of the box.

and I think about you.
best wishes to us all.