she paid for a ritual
tossing the cards,
shuffling twice,
fooling chance
the game
she paid for a dance
call her Ms. Window,
a rose you’d like to coffeebreak with,
a Rita you’d ask to drive you home,
dancer you’d steal quarters for
so she could phone her mother up –
mercy!
nah, better draw the blinds…
you live on a river,
pretend it is a damp rainy Saturday,
your seeds hibernating inside verdant waterfall dreams
you swim past remote deserts blooming with starfish
nah, better draw the blinds…
you are a child when no one’s watching,
pretend this time the deal’s for real,
but only for this time,
this last time around
NYC
1981