FLOATING

April 25, 1988

Rev. July 2014

My first sit in the park this Spring,

The pigeons, squirrels and street folk were waiting for me

plus the local work force

grabbing some rays, a few minutes

away from faxes, phones and supervisors.

“Why would the great American Army need to stop one man?”

This is the question the old salt asks circling my bench,

approximately talking to me, the sycamores,

or any other thing animate or inanimate.

Old Ronnie, double drunk,

holds on to the iron rail, stretching and bending,

waiting for the bell for round one to begin.

“I’ll kill the goddamned son of a bitch.”

Three foot tall Marvin rides by in his wheelchair,

his blue pack hanging on the back

with flyers wings, a silver star and a Snoopy button

pinned on.

A bumper sticker reads ED KOCH FOR POPE.

dealers

derelicts

division heads

divinity school grads

floating around in the eddys.