When Street Meets Us


HOME

 

When Street Meets Us

 

 

 

Before her scream—

pierced the screech

 

of careening wheels

with the immediate shriek

 

a shrill horn makes

up neck and back

 

back down to backs of

knees that buckle us back

 

back, back, back-words

and safety’s first

 

breath in ... recalls

something ... sounding ...

 

like a ... another

hit and (run) (runway)

 

runaway accident

as neck hairs hackle

 

as exploring senses are

sent out to locate and ...

 

(shut up) (shut out) shell up

 against that (violent) (violator)

 

vehicle colliding our way

our backs bright bait

 

for the reckless.

The when

 

we next hear

we first breathe

 

as windfall

how this lukewarm

 

 air we turn around in

churns danger

 

into disgust

snakes our guts

 

into gutters where

even our puke is small

 

change when street

meets us.

 

 

 

--- Chris Custer