andy woke at midnight
and listened to the rain
remembrance of reality
overflowed his brain
betty lived across the hall
she had trouble sleeping
especially when andy
was awake and silent creeping
chandler was the landlord
or maybe the concierge
he had terrible dreams at night
and in daytime terrible urges
danny lived around the corner
in a cardboard box
he had seen and done it all
and was immune to shocks
eddie drove a taxi
up and down the street
he kept his brogans polished
and his fingernails filed neat
frankie was a player
for eternal fame
if coach would only put him in
he could change the game
gilda was a night person
slept but once a week
but did not take it kindly
when called out as a freak
harry was called “the horse”
for lack of imagination
among his fellow tenants
in the chambers of degradation
irma was a “floozie”
a word now obsolete
but she brooked no nonsense
when she walked the street
johnny was the leader
what he said went down
but what good did it do him
when everyone left town
karen wrote a novel
and lost it on the bus
and then went home and hanged herself
without any fuss
larry was a wino
who had once been a preacher
murder was his mama
and hard knocks was his teacher
maggie was a mother
who ran away and hid
she just couldn’t help it
she didn’t like kids
nick was a cowboy
born out of time
if he could have rode with jesse james
it would have been so fine
olive was a poet
her fingers often shook
as she wrote down her secret thoughts
in a
little red notebook
pete was a dreamer
with long and hairy arms
and wished that more women
would appreciate his charms
quigley was a dreamer too
his dreams ran deep
most of his fellow humans
thought he was a creep
ricki was a sleeper
would have liked to sleep all day
but society had taught her
that that was not o k
shirley only wanted
to be left alone
all humans were her siblings
and all the world her home
toni heard voices
in the walls and in the air
inside or outside
they were always there
uncle joe had a mustache
which sometimes did droop
he was not a member
of any organized group
vinnie was a gambler
whose luck had run dry
he sat on the sidewalk
and watched the world go by
wanda was a pushy sort
who aggravated many
and when she counted up her friends
she found she had not any
excuse me for a minute
while i catch my breath
an old friend is calling
and his name is death
oh young people
hear my words
the street is for the people
and the air is for the birds
zeroes on the wheel of life
zeroes in my brain
zeroes are beyond counting
we will meet again
