mama, no bred

mama mama, i wanna work in govurnmint! i wanna be in pitures!

i gotta bad habit.
i will be a good nun-
see how my knees bend!

mama no bred,
buy gold to eat!
lookin fab in newspaper dress-
unslit seams & bathe me clean.

mama, imma bad son.
i gotta disease!
love no body
too many stains.

i wanted sun, wanted son,
wanted sum truth & the lite
in the bred, a cross
the aisle i were the truth
& the liar, skinned knee
never happend & "never said that!"
but you knew what i thought, i didn't,
& truth never mattered, mama-

all the blood is pouring out of me
every time it rains.
you showed me how to plug it up good.
shoulders back,
sit still now, let me bleed you.

up on the roof in pilsen

at the beginning of know
hair circles
warm tar-
fingerprints,
pale skin cooking.

Catch is getting browner-
says he wants to become a Mexican
to fit in. I said, better learn Spanish.

lovers intertwine
vines twistin
pink balloons
in the alley
from the quinceanera.
a child cries, "Zoom!"
jumpin dumpster to dumpster.

Whoop Whoop! sound of police,
the flashing light,
light! light! along the highway!
is that the stadium?
few stars peeking
out of violent clouds-

ch ch ch ch
train
lines
wind
straight
lind
boxcar rumble

taggd faces of
Aztec Warriors
burst from under the bridge.

the IRA
stands on the chimney.
Mafiosos in the Billard Parlor below.
we hail passing ships
with smoke signals.

cooking smells
& whistles
float up to us
past the fire escapes.

vaguely sacred & profane

anything vaguely sacred & profane

another metal

O god god how weary!

profit spittin fire

turnin & turnin

spiralin spiroll

mistake!