1 train, bus, street, September 2015
Emily wrote these for an assignment I gave on the first day of class. I asked the students to journey by train, bus and foot, and to write a poem. These are fun on the tongue. The nose likes them too.
Moist sidewalks
Blues and hues
Bleed into one
Trickle sprinkle
As the lights tinkle
Concrete stars and wet grit
Hip hop, red pop
I like your kicks
Blazing nights hide your dirty
Simmering pumps with chunk
Throb and clunk
This beat makes you flirty
Glazed runway
Soon you will pass away
The streets will thirst
Gulp and swallow
Await a new burst
Swallowed deep into the earth A
concrete tunnel
An underground hearth A
tank of its own Far beyond on what
the streets is shown
Puckered lips and blabbering tongues A
car of people
A smoggy melange
Mouths consuming, fuming
Weaving sound and purpose
She spits and pops her gum Creates a
lullaby with her hum Savors every taste
on her tongue Belts out loud while still
young Quips about the international
news Gasps at the rooftop views Wails
when she misses home Bites her lip
when she’ll roam
We swim and dive from station
To destination
All soak in the sweet sticky fumes
And one another’s perfumes Is
he drowning or frowning?
I take it within I
see you, we both swim But this
translucence bars from entering
This is no sea
The water has a beginning and an end
Unnaturally My
variety, this tank holds Bubbling lips,
scarlets and corals Across
thresholds
We all swim, on view
But these glass bounds keep me from
you
Concrete tanks
Urban Aquarium