POEMS ABOUT THE CITY

THE HEART OF THE CITY

Deep in the heart of the city
Beats the drum of the wild hunt:
Beyond the markets of oriental goods
And past the rough young things in leather,
If you can stand up to the blows
And walk defiantly beneath the glares,
You’ll find an oil barrel of blood.
Wet your hands and run them over your cheeks
If you have a Mark, make it now
On forehead, lips, and cheeks
And step forward to killdance.

Now you may never return
To the grassy parks by the canals
Or the marble bridges of Uptown.
The Heart’s stain is on you,
The thunder is in your blood.
Now you are a stranger wherever you go
Except here.
Bare your teeth against smog
Pound your feet on concrete
Sleep on dirty linoleum
And warm yourself by garbage fires;
Dress in rags and stink of sweat
You're lost in killdance.

SURVIVAL

The secret to survival
In The City
Is to stop pretending
That you hate it.
Surrender to the streets,
The steel,
The stone, the smog,
The style,
And look around.

The secret to survival
In The City
Is to sit on the sidewalk,
Breathe deeply,
Taste the exhaust,
Embrace the noise,
Blend in.

The secret to survival
In The City
Is to find the Heart,
Feel its pulse,
Share its breath,
Drink its blood.

The secret to survival
In The City
Is surrender.