Loose in some wall
Some bottle rattles
When the wind gets rough
Some treasure for the boy
That sleeps beneath a painted mural
Of a sunken ship
He will find it when he's older
His father's scribble
Marking the date
Others are academics
Learning how to pilfer grants
Gain acceptance
Carry on at length at parties
Following odd trains
Past the track
And into the night
Some of them leave art behind
Letters from galleries
Expressing their agreement
That they too believe
A certain piece has found its maturity
And meaningful place in the world
For other children there will be pictures
Dad with a celebrity
Pop with a prominent sports figure
Father in a fighting position
A legacy of strength
And pride
Since it is the immigrant's tale
Somewhere around second generation
Capturing elements of adventure
Before it gets lost
In translation and modern struggles
Then there are only the buildings
Or worse yet
The plot of land with lots of hand pointing
Details in the imaginary foreground
Words can be left
As hollow sounds
With clicks and thuds
Or left on pages
Thin as hair
Shoved into a crack
Where yellow rolls into the corners
Until the pages are crisp and frail
Not as good for a fire
As a dry beam of wood
But fine for starter
The wood can be salvaged
As it had been once before
There was a fire at the brothel
So it was sanded down
To pass inspection
And it could have been turned into art
Or saved for some analytical conversation
But covered again
In plaster and paint
With a bottle resting on its plank
Protected by math and elements
It might just be one of the best kept secrets
Or a fun thing to find
When a deep longing comes
--
2.21.08
Some bottle rattles
When the wind gets rough
Some treasure for the boy
That sleeps beneath a painted mural
Of a sunken ship
He will find it when he's older
His father's scribble
Marking the date
Others are academics
Learning how to pilfer grants
Gain acceptance
Carry on at length at parties
Following odd trains
Past the track
And into the night
Some of them leave art behind
Letters from galleries
Expressing their agreement
That they too believe
A certain piece has found its maturity
And meaningful place in the world
For other children there will be pictures
Dad with a celebrity
Pop with a prominent sports figure
Father in a fighting position
A legacy of strength
And pride
Since it is the immigrant's tale
Somewhere around second generation
Capturing elements of adventure
Before it gets lost
In translation and modern struggles
Then there are only the buildings
Or worse yet
The plot of land with lots of hand pointing
Details in the imaginary foreground
Words can be left
As hollow sounds
With clicks and thuds
Or left on pages
Thin as hair
Shoved into a crack
Where yellow rolls into the corners
Until the pages are crisp and frail
Not as good for a fire
As a dry beam of wood
But fine for starter
The wood can be salvaged
As it had been once before
There was a fire at the brothel
So it was sanded down
To pass inspection
And it could have been turned into art
Or saved for some analytical conversation
But covered again
In plaster and paint
With a bottle resting on its plank
Protected by math and elements
It might just be one of the best kept secrets
Or a fun thing to find
When a deep longing comes
--
2.21.08
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