January 12th: Outgoing: at the City Bus Stop

January 12^th: Outgoing: At the City Bus Stop

What an expression: the elephant in the room--

what a way to keep it whatever it is

chained at the back leg and swaying

a cargo full sail, and right? what else could it be

ears like that and a rough trunk

four stump legs and feet that feel the words

of sound come up from the ground it's like

the way deaf musicians lay their face

against the oak of their bass

and hum a tune to the tune of it all

and by the Grace of God the song the song

I’ll tell you my elephant if you tell me yours

listen it’s late and the poor lady’s been in line

all day long and not been called on

but she’s got time, she’s a patient kind

and benign and maybe that’s why

everybody thinks they can ease on by

and she’ll sway her big boat sway and they’ll make it

with their hat in their hand because something

like her deserves everything you’ve got by way

of respect even if it just your bare head.

Hell some come by and strip right down to the mute

skin mute hands and soles bruised and stay all day

and through the nights besides and these they say

are the survivors: of camps and killing fields

of happiness houses and sold for hats little girls

are boys with bayonets

on the end of their guns

are girls with bayonets

on the end of their uterus.

You won’t know them though, folks like these.  You see,

closer to home, an old soccer ball roll across the road

and hear the rubber (smell it too) long after

the world stopped forever for that mother

and that 19 year old driver--I’ll tell you

they too know elephants.  Don’t we all.  Don’t we

arrive every day with our eyes and our mouths.

Our throats and noses.   Don’t we climb the side

of that elephant, since her hip’s bad, that’s least squeaky?

And doesn’t she let us ride and ride  and the room is wide?

Who’s born who’s died who’s got fried chicken and rice?

Who’s seen Caesar who’s seen Jesus who’s cleaned

whose ass and why.  Listen: the mountain snow’s piling

it’s piling high and where are you and your elephant going to be

come spring?  What shovel are you going to bring?  Gear or no

it’s not waiting.  Take her out of the chain

the savannah the plains are a big big place and she ain’t going

nowhere far.  Get wise to her and that’s the truth.   Get wise

and that’s the truth: she’s under your skin.  She’s

where you’ve been.  Where you’re going

to have been.  Everyone’s coming to see.   Make good.

Come clean.  Listen before you speak.  Listen

before you speak.