Was this Manhattan in the 70s?

about manhattan in the 70s, after the oil shocks. the economy was worse then that it is now, believe it or not. anyway, this is my dad and uncle's story.

your single-mattressed single room

had books, your brother, television

and a dog, but you forget her name.

 

some robber took everything but the books

then changed their mind about the dog

since you found her weeping out back.

 

walking home that night in the Upper West,

Uncle Andrew saw a knife, gave up

his two grocery bags and dollar.

 

locals had to teach you how to walk again�"

precisely so, down the middle of sidewalks

to evade strings of people on either side.

 

you sold your textbooks on the street for food

as they stopped funding the mental hospitals,

as the bag lady could be your wife or graffiti.

 

when you imitate people with Tourette’s

it’s a spectacle and you choose the right curse words.

in real life you’re not sure whether to look.

 

standing tense, shelved between buildings,

the wind is not so ephemeral.  somewhere

an orchard blooms and this tiny little life sees it all

 

through film sprockets.

Reviews

[nostal]

A fleeting, surreal piece.
Liked very much.