Monday, September 21, 2009

What happens to our memories when we are done with them?

I am reminded of grandmother's hands,
the pale wrinkled backs she gentled with lotion,
the way her hand held mine, when we caught
the bus to shop, how her hands steadied
my back as if she were an angel protecting
all sides of me, how her hands brushed
the hair from my eyes, patted me on the back
nudged me forward. What will happen when her hands
are no longer a memory? Where will they go?

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Tagger

This isn't Broadway
though every kid with a spray can
thinks he's a star, climbing
buildings and bridges
to leave his mark
as if he's the most important one,
as if he needs to prove he is the one
with the upbeat future, and digs
too fancy to soil.
He'll hang around big-noting, skite-ing
of the daring danger, how the train
near-clipped his ankle as it passed under
his fancy paint-job. Another night
there'll be a new decoration, some other kid,
some other gang battling behind the tags.