[Poem] The October City Rots
The October City Rots This night is a rotten fruit hot with maggots and garbage tossed onto the street this fall, dark October-- Desperate windows flung recklessly open over unknown footsteps, a wretching laugh, and the lingering sulfur of cigarette smoke We are purplish children sunbathing in an urban corpse tonight I was ready for salt this evening, not for rot as the leaves fall, looking twice Please send the white fog back to me to cleanse this demon tide— When I fall, I want to tumble clean into the next world Not corrupt with indecision and envy Let me die a little without this rot Let the cold come and the season change and the cool conviction of loss settle deep into this city’s concrete bones
