246 to Richmond

A different part of town

246 To Richmond

Phantom porters.

Sweep out dusty halls,

With slow old man hands,

Coughing and spitting in the junk sick dawn,

Stoical Vietnamese,

With cancelled eyes,

Never show sickness

A couple on the nod,

Passed by the tireless pacing of downtown ghosts.

He sought them all out,

Cautious patient and slow,

With the dead eyes of a dealer,

Dropped into their bloodless hands,

A few hours of warmth.