"View from Apartment 305" written in 1995

useless conversations roll around in my head
you’re not even here, but you know the flower is dead
lightness of being filters through the maple trees
red, yellow and green fluttering in the breeze
 
doctors getting out of cars stroll to the door
old people sit waiting not wanted any more
traffic lights vibrate red, yellow and green
people and cars flowing back and forth in a dirty urban scene
 
school kids warehoused on the right, seniors warehoused on the left
you know it’s only a two minute walk between youth and death
red brick buildings keep them well hidden away
as the rest of us busily fill up our days
 
coffee grounds settle to the bottom of my cup
river valley spawns life in the rich delta mud
orange cranes on the horizon cut the sky like knives
erecting castles to the paper God, you know its never enough
 
old woman with brown spotted hands creeps across the street
pumped up steroid boy hits his horn, you know he’s got a date to keep
oily slippery streets as the patterns converge
he hits his brakes much too late and another spirit emerges
 
school kids warehoused on the right, seniors warehoused on the left
you know it’s only a two minute walk between youth and death
red brick buildings keep them well hidden away
as the rest of us busily fill up our days