Idle
Am I crazy to think that when
a young woman adjusts her vanity
she?s trying to catch a glimpse of me
and when she shifts it quickly back
what am I to think then?
Or if a certain lovely one
should fan herself on a humid day
I think she does it to send her scent my way
that it?s me she?s hot for
and not the sun.
Or if I sit behind her on a bus
and she pulls out her makeup kit but does not apply
and in the little mirrored panel I see her eye
I wonder if it?s hers reflected there
or the subtle image of my lust.
- DJ Moore 2001
woodlawn flower
things will never be the same again
down from my little corner, 63rd woodlawn
chicago
there is a red brick church, Christ Way Baptist
i did not want to, maybe i did it to see if it was real
but i followed the street people up the side stairs
last winter, stood in line
and came back with a sack full
of endenman sweets
donuts and things
i didn't need to, didn't want to crowd
the line of folk i see everyday
po folk, some homeless, small timers,
ladies of the stroll, druggies,
ready to cut, love ferociously
dangerously managing vibrant hearts
i skipped the
thanksgiving and christmas free turkeys
sumptuous lady
i knew she was true
cook county jail, minister, pastor, the last 43 years
next year will be different
this warm spirit sharing
giving daily to the threadbare inmates
lines of forgotten sentiment
her church on my street
mother york is dead
cardiac arrest, monday night
things will never be the same again
passing that church daily for the last two years
walking back and forth to work
it seem to always gather, pick itself up
and move sumptuously an inch toward me
and until that day on the stairs
threadbare acquaintances
i never knew what the glimmer of wind shift
was for
Reverend Consuella York, dead at 72
"I've been a jailbird ever since, serving a life sentence
for the Lord"
god bless you lady
- Etabu Larry Dunn 2001
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