6th & Maple
The Overdose Response Team
on Skid Row is out near 6th and
Maple on one of the hottest days
of the month. If the heat, hunger,
or stray bullets do not kill you,
the drugs will. Somewhere far
away from Skid Row are the ones
who make the most profit from
these mind, soul, heart killing
drugs. Soon the paramedics
come, police cars, and an
ambulance bagging up another
mother’s son or daughter, victims
of poverty, drugs, and life’s choices.
All My Days
In the dark streets I feel the wind
following me. In a rush, the wind
feels cold. It is never calm when
it is what you hope for. Flying debris
and howling dogs can be seen and
heard. My eyes tear up and I am
waiting for morning and the sun
to warm my bones. Happiness is
not something I expect in this land.
The stars in the sky watch over me.
In the morning it is the sun and
the clouds that take their turn. I am
always looking up to acknowledge
them. The bright sun is my favorite
when it’s not too hot. All my days
are spent looking for warmth. I do
not give up, but it’s not up to me.
(Previously appeared in Venus Vs Scorpio Poetry E-Zine)
Fire Angel
In the flame a moth bathed
until it was out of breath.
I gave it a name in a funeral
I held for it in my mind, not
honeysuckle but fire angel.
It was the hottest night of the
month. I thank climate change
sarcastically. I think tomorrow
the fury of heat and humidity
will be too great to bear. In
the light another moth will meet
its end on November 2, All
Souls’ Day, 5 hours after sunset.
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