Friday, December 23, 2016

cities (i.) (ii.)


i.


we crawl between paper and railing
secrets of length
ripped open by rain          acid of tears
falling to flesh
           flesh
                   falling to rain

rain swallowed  
        gutter to     drain

lights of the city
           vibrant and new
place object to window
           lined in grace

dances of freedom
            exquisite spacing of step
       passing and pausing
beauty well spent

the keeping of secrets
contained in the wine
merlot of the moment
        brings warmth to the soul

as flesh melts into dark
     in the corner of promise and pain

between paper and rail
between paper and rain



ii.

not New York

used jewels hang from
        aged pubic hair
elevators reveal more than
       mirrored caviar and quantity

points accumulate

street corner drugs
offer aspirin and condom
         street lights
offer repentance and reprieve

this is not New York
this is not Paris or London
this our daily bread gone underground

money and merchants
       change hands in the black

   no free pass to heaven
its points we lack

bkmackenzie
2016 (copyrighted)

23 comments:

  1. Powerful reflection we should all take to heart

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    1. Thank you Martin - Merry Christmas to you and yours...bkm

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  2. This is great and gritty... the rhymes just in the right places, the images in the second poem is startling... love this.

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  3. Dark underbellies present here and a narrative that spikes my conscience with something I can't grasp quite yet.

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    1. Thank you Paul for stopping in and reading...bkm

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  4. I just adore the way you executed rhyme here!!❤️ Especially "dances of freedom, exquisite spacing of step, passing and pausing, beauty well spent."

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  5. I love modern city poems specially showing the dark side ~ This is my favorite part:

    this our daily bread gone underground ~

    Thanks for joining in ~

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  6. I liked the phrase "daily bread gone underground" and the photo taken close to the street and unfocused lights in the distance.

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  7. A great thought provoking poem. Well done.

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  8. I lived 5 yrs on Long Island, many visits to the city.
    Wonderful job capturing the light side and darker side of the city, any city. Powerful imagery.
    I especially liked:
    "as flesh melts into dark
    in the corner of promise and pain

    between paper and rail
    between paper and rain "

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  9. This is strong, colorful and alive. I need to get downtown soon-

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  10. "no free pass to heaven
    its points we lack"

    `wow!

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  11. Before and after the fall, these stations of night. From a place between "paper and rain" to "our daily bread gone underground." Are we passing between ages, administrations or simply age itself. All of it, yes, and growing up here.

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    1. Yes we are passing between ages and like the country we have false dreams of going backwards- but life will not let us...bkm

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  12. Love the poems, I love the closing line of the second one, it is cruel and up to the point, I can feel it. I also really liked this part:" passing and pausing
    beauty well spent"

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    1. Thank you Selena for your comments they are appreciated...bkm

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  13. I like this part the best: "the keeping of secrets
    contained in the wine
    merlot of the moment
    brings warmth to the soul"

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  14. Hello! Grace here from D'verse~

    Can you please contact me at sometimesg@yahoo.com ? Thank you ~

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