HEY EDITOR

OR READER (IF I’M LUCKY THIS TIME)

I WASN’T PLANNING TO WRITE THIS POEM

OKAY? I DIDN’T WANT TO

COMPARE THE FREEWAYS

THAT CUT THROUGH MY CITY

TO VEINS AND ARTERIES

BECAUSE THAT’S CLICHE

BUT I CAN’T DENY IT:

THEY GUSH BLOOD

ALL THE TIME

LIKE A FEW MONTHS BACK

WHEN A MAN

ON A VENTURE-CAPITAL SCOOTER

[GREEN PLASTIC, BLACK WHEELS]

GOT SMASHED

BY A DELIVERY TRUCK

AND DIED

IN FRONT OF MY BUILDING

AND LEFT THIS WORLD

SO QUIETLY

THAT I DIDN’T EVEN NOTICE

UNTIL THE PROTESTORS SHOWED UP

AND ONE OF THEM,

THIS OLDER WOMAN,

SCREAMED AT THE CARS RUSHING BY

SLOW DOWN!

BUT I FELT LIKE

SHE WAS TALKING TO ME

I AM SORRY

ABOUT EARLIER THIS EVENING

WHEN, AS I WAS WALKING BACK

FROM THE GYM

I SAW ANOTHER SCOOTER

SPIN OUT

GET HITCHED

DEFY GRAVITY

SEND A MAN FLYING

GRACEFUL AS A SWAN

(ANOTHER CLICHE, I KNOW)

BUT UNLIKE A SWAN

HE HIT CONCRETE

NOT WATER

AND HIS HEAD LEAKED ALL OVER

THE SAME STRETCH OF ROAD

WHERE THAT OTHER MAN DIED

AND WE CALLED 911

AND WE WAITED FOR THE FLASHING LIGHTS

[PLUGGING MY EARS TO DROWN OUT THE SIRENS]

[NO, I DON’T KNOW HIM. I WAS JUST WALKING BY]

[I LIVE HERE]

[THANK YOU]

AND MY CITY

(SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA)

RECENTLY INSTALLED

A POP ART PROJECT

IN THE PARK

TWO BLOCKS OVER

FROM THE CARNAGE

EIGHT HUGE PLASTIC CATS

IN A CIRCLE

TOWERING OVER YOU

WITH FLASHING LIGHTS

FOR ORGANS

SO, AS YOU WALK, OR SCOOTER, OR DIE

YOU SEE THEM LIGHT UP

THANK GOD

FOR THE CITY