For Slam prelim 2- Returning to the City |
Once more, with my jumbled feelings, I roam the foxy city where skyscrapers bond to free-floating moods and bridges curve to leap over the East River. On Broadway, preachers' shrieks steal roles on the corners: "Repent!" But I stick with the hot pastrami sandwich from Roxie's, and taste buds ablaze, flip greasy singles in a box; a sax seesaws through an impromptu recital, as jazzy lungs tint my cluttered senses blue. Nothing much has changed, except my soft center and the barbaric nostalgia of too many years. I stroll south on the way to the piers, as I once did, recalling the slush hurled by cars and the residue of acidic deeds that corroded my feats and slashed me inside, lifelong. The traffic pushes sidewalks aside and stops breathing where Wall Street harbors creditor class, recycling people; yet, the local hip-hop can't stop when poets and artists merge their salty lines with the aroma of sweat. Would it be another betrayal if, in my commotion, I streaked away again akin to an ill-omened comet escaping from the sun? --------------------------------- Prompt: Write a poem that captures the pace of a large city. Try to use as many of the five senses as you possibly can. Feel free to use free verse (structured or unstructured) or formal poetry. If you use a form, tell us which form you are using (sonnet, triolet, ballad, etc.) Do your own thing and have fun. |