SAMPLE
(Free Stuff on the Streets of New York)
When we moved
Into the hood
Drugs were easy to
Get
Coke and weed
But the best
Things Are Free
The sun blazed on
A late afternoon
And was pleasant
Even if it
Was early January
And the air itself
Froze inside your
Nose
Sterilizing bronchi
With
Each
Inhale
Still people stop
From brisk walking
To peruse a box
Of books, trinkets
And a chest of
Drawers curbside
Leafing through
Dante’s Inferno
And an IKEA creation
Wondering
How to get it
Back 5
blocks
And up four flights
In some bars
At happy hour
Blue flamed sternos
Warm wings and
Jalapeño poppers
For the price of a
Guinness or two
You can dine there
Most days of the
Week
Outside the arena
On game day
Samples of soaps
And creams
And sometimes
Dreams
Flow from
Bottomless plastic
Barrels
Thursday is bulk trash
Day
And furniture
Found on sidewalks
Really paved with gold
Filled our studio
In early 4th floor
Over-heated eclectic style
The City giveth
Weekly as
We walked
Naked
Through someone's former
Possessions
Happy to have
Found free stuff
On the streets
Of New York
We made love on
Sundays
To the chime
Of
Church bells
So thankful
For smiles
Laughter
And tears
Flowing like red wine
We tasted
At the free
Tastings!
And it was
Orphan’s Christmas
At SAMPLE
And Orphan’s Halloween
And everything
In between
Now glittered skulls
And garland
Fill paper boxes
Becoming part of the
Free Stuff
On the Sidewalks
Of New York
East side
West side
All around the town
We come up out of
The F Train
And settle ourselves
Down.
There was Maio and Heather,
Janine and Rollins too
Serving up Ploughman’s platters
Wine and spirits too
We would go there often
As often as we could
And always left
So happy
That SAMPLE was in the hood
