SYCAMORE

ANGEL WAS ARRESTED ON AN AUTUMN EVENING
IN THE BACK YARD OF THE BROWN HOUSE ON SYCAMORE
SHE HAD ON MRS MICHAEL’S BIFOCALS AND MISS DREW’S EARRINGS
SHE WAS DISSECTING THE CORPSE OF THE KING’S LABRADOR
ANGEL WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BABYSITTING MAGGIE
BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND MAGGIE FOR AN HOUR OR MORE
‘TIL MR ARTHUR CHECKED THE ATTIC
CAUGHT HER PLAYING AT A NEW GAME
WITH A KNIFE THAT SHE NAMED ANGEL AND A MONOPOLY BOARD

PARK PLACE, BALTIC, MARVIN GARDENS
PEELED OFF CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
GO, JAIL, GO TO JAIL, FREE PARKING
SHREDDED LIKE THE SKIN OF A SYCAMORE

MRS ARTHUR’S EARS WERE BURNING IN CHURCH THAT SUNDAY
PRYING EYES SCATTER EACH TIME SHE TURNED AROUND
MR ARTHUR FEARED THE SERMON WELL IT WAS QUITE BLUNTLY
AN ATTACK UPON HIS HOUSEHOLD AND IT’S MORAL GROUND
THE DAILY NEWS RAN FEATURES ON TEEN DEVIL WORSHIP
HER DOCTORS WROTE REPORTS THAT ANGEL NEEDED REST
THERE WERE NOTES FROM MAGGIE’S TEACHERS
HER FINGER PAINTINGS WERE DISTURBING
THE CHURCH LADIES MADE SIGNS AND PICKETED THE GRATEFUL DEAD

BUT ALL THAT PAPER SHOULD HAVE STAYED TREES
NONE OF THAT PAPER TOLD ANYMORE
THAN THE BABBLE OF THE BREEZE
THROUGH THE BRANCHES AND THE LEAVES
AND THE SHREDDED SKIN OF A SYCAMORE

ANGEL CAME HOME ON A FEBRUARY MORNING
TO THE BACK ROOM OF THE BROWN HOUSE ON SYCAMORE
SHE’D BEEN ABSOLVED IN VALIUM AND THE BABY HAD BEEN BORN
AND ADOPTED BY A COUPLE OUT IN OHIO
NOW SHE SPENDS HER ALLOWANCE ON HARLEQUINS AND DOWNERS
SHE BOUGHT A DEADBOLT FOR HER BEDROOM DOOR
AND MR ARTHUR KEEPS LATE HOURS AT HIS OFFICE AND HE SHOWERS
HIS DAUGHTERS AND HIS WIFE WITH THE FRUITS OF HIS LABORS

HE’S SELLING OFF BALTIC BUYING UP MARVIN GARDENS
BUT ALL THAT MONEY SHOULD HAVE STAYED TREES
SELLING OFF MARVIN GARDENS, BUYING UP PARK PLACE
BUT ALL THAT MONEY MAY AS WELL BE LEAVES AT THEIR FEET
AS LONG AS NO ONE WANTS TO SEE BENEATH
THE SHREDDED SKIN OF SYCAMORE STREET

winter 96 new orleans
© MYSHKIN 1998