i like the way you smile at me
(for elisa brown)
and i am in the november weather
stranger to strangers amid
the gauntlet of noise and traffic
yet your smile is bright
a new coin in the circulated money
a cello against the cacophony of afternoon or
a pool of clear water reflecting a circle of city sky
the epiphany of your face when the confusion grows
is a ripe planet in the universe vacancy
and lost and unclaimed
near the marquee of the theater
in a wind hinting rain in the eyes
i see you
my cells fall into unison
wild breath stirring the exclaiming palms
wilshire blvd.
all its traffic lights green ad infinitum
and the city is tall
hurling its height and clamor
metric agressive
accusing and regretting
gathering discarding
elemental and atomic
sometimes crying and contrite
the trees gather in fear
people race the lights that
collapse the country
in precise increments
then you smile
the stooping uncertainty stands erect
calloused corners harbor birds
young cats stir in the infancy of their politics
someone gives something away
somebody is earnest as earth
your smile is
three grinning black faces
eager as early stars
framed in the open summer window
something that beautiful to wake to
sunlight and shadow
echos of gospel through verbiage of alabama pine
sunday cadillacs shined to a scream
red rain ditches running along our lives
smooth stones slanting further south
until your heart motors against the morning shine
and the city runs in all directions
buildings have hollow sad eyes
tired buses feign politeness
and the hour rotates rooms
each with a separate despair
but you smile
friends are gathering cooking singing
a grandmother lifts a wise eye
starts grinning
tells you to “come here, baby…sit”
a strolling someone blesses a
neighborhood with pomegranates
from a rooftop above an alley of roses
after rescuing the evening
a policeman is throwing kisses
a wind moves across the yards
billowing the white linen on the
clotheslines to sail and bloom
mariachis thumb into a ruckus and
disappear beneath their sombreros
the starling rise like a tint on
the mathematics of downtown windows
i am claimed
and i shine
