recession rising from the factory stacks five small black
b
i
r
d
s
Tag: cities
homeless…
a plastic bag drifts
across the sidewalk
heat wave
at the big city
flower market
ten thousand shades
of radiant yellow
slowly
two clouds collide
over rush hour
dense fog
the train evaporates
into a distant horn
flea market~
every old watch
keeps its time
autumn afternoon–
an empty shopping cart
waits at the bus stop
dusk–
ten thousand blackbirds
and no place to park
lit fish stall
open mouths darken
in the night
Gogyohka
she slips
into the blue haze
of memory
Staten Island
Ferry
deep breath
before I enter
the panhandler’s aura
in the distance gunshots opening the dark
where street meets sunrise–
the steam
traffic jam–
my thoughts
still in motion
amid fallen leaves
a business card
still doing its job
Pelham Parkway
between the winter trees
the child?s breath
morning walk
at the crossroads
my thoughts
flow
in Spanglish
commuter platform
a harmonica blowing
the freight train blues
leaving the Tokyo subway,
a hundred umbrellas
rise in unison
rooftop garden—
climbing the stairs
back to nature
gallery tour
the ladies gaze
at the dozing watchman
park bench
pigeons begging
the homeless man
department store sale flyers flying
hotel bar:
ice shifts
and shifts again.
just a flat tire
chained to a lamppost
waning autumn moon
dead birds at the base
of the lit skyscraper
autumn midnight
funeral procession the hitchhiker tucks his thumbs in his pockets
sheltered by the bus stop empties
Buddha eyes–
a hunchbacked woman sweeps
the temple steps
birthday party
the new neighbor
shows his tattoo
sight unseen
my maternal grandfather passed away on june 22 1980 from black lung … (haibun continues)
dead-end street
every house but one
boarded up
trailing the snail
on the pale gray pavement
an ellipsis…
shortest day–
the waiting room clock
at the ICU
January thaw
dog-walkers greet
leashed strangers
cherry
blossoms
drifting
down
mission
street
three
pink
hookers
black fedora
the blind man
inspects its brim
corner beggar change is everywhere
street preacher
the hooker throws a few coins
in his hat