The Street’s first sight revised
Note; This is the second longer version
More Montreal 2011 Poesm to follow
Yelling and screaming
when I was changeless
did not have coins
did not have words
How did I dare
not to
How could I not
this
was unacceptable
Yelling and screaming
in French
Ne Habla I yelled Das Vadanya
remembering bits and pieces
of old/ wrong languages
Then he said
in clear bell English
give me money
Then I said No! And walked on!
Most days and nights
I will give a busker coins
or
failing that
someone whom I choose
Most days and nights
I will feel I could know this person
I could
I’m not in doubt of
have sometime seen him in a
rather cracked mirror
I understand
too well
how things can turn badly
at the flip of a drink
at the turn of a drug
at timing that may have seemed right
and decisions
that turned out bad and sad
but seemed not then
But this was not that
and now was not then
no reflection
was allowed
He followed for a while
once we began ambulating again
thinking of how fists
might resolve things
or not-
We came to
what later became
the Daily Park
He went over to
someone it seemed he knew
talked about me
like a dog
an English Dog
and how he almost had to hurt me
this other
I could see
gave him
money and sympathies
gave me the evil
eye nose and throat
and words….we walked on
Like this:
Like Loading...
About bobsmall1
Bob Small has read at Bacchanal, Barnes and Noble, Borders,
The Booksource (Swarthmore), The Clark Park Festivals,Community College of Philadelphia
Highwire Gallery, The Mad Poets Annual Food Fest Reading,
The Middle East Restaurant, Nexus GalleryThe Painted Bride Arts Center,
The Philadelphia Ethical Society, Robin's Bookstore
The University of Pennsylvania and also in New York City,
Trenton, NJ, Washington, DC, and in many Delaware Valley Venues.
He is the author of numerous chapbooks, including
El Otro Lado (with Maralyn Lois Polak), On watching America Die,
Small Steps and Toes (with Lamont B. Steptoe), and The Unapoet.
This is his first Reading in over a year.
Bob Small was Founder and President of the
two decades old Poets and Prophets,
which presented Poetry Readings
in both Delaware County and Philadelphia.
Bob was the Chair of The Delaware County Green Party and was the
First Green Party Candidate in Delaware County (2005).
He was also a Green Party National Delegate, among other duties.
He is the Founder and Facilitator of
The Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition (PaBac),
which is a Coalition of both Independents and Third Parties.,
seeking to legislatively improve Pennsylvania's Ballot Access Laws. (Facebook)
Bob is also a founding member and
Facilitator of Democracy Unplugged, and Delco Debates,
which has presented Independent and Third Party Forums in Delaware County since 2004. Facebook)
He was formerly involved with Cinema Resistance, and Delco Pledge of Resistance.
Bob currently lives in Swarthmore with his wife
and their menagerie of animals.
He is currently focused on writing a Novel and organizing his Poetry, which he posts on his Blog (Bob Small1). He is retired from most of the above activities, except Delco Debates and Poets and Prophets, which he may return to.
robertthesmall 