Another Excerpt From “Layover in Philadelphia”
occasionally the silver train
rolls by like a worm tethered
to the electrical lines above it
with veins. from the i beams
guiding the wires hang potted
plants, grey, tan, parched
dead. molds of dirt and dead
grass floating in smoke and
traced in electricity and cold.
over the loudspeaker we hear
that the pope has had a
feeding tube inserted. we hear
a woman’s feeding tube was
removed march 18 and has died. i wind
through the re-admittance line,
remove my belt,
and find gate C28.
someone has left a wall
street journal. i tried to
call you. you didn’t answer.
airports are very dirty places.
