Almost Native
written by: Joseph L.M. Sturm
@jlmsturm
I drive on these streets
passing on the corner –
oil swirling in the gutter –
I don’t know why
they say oil in the bay is bad.
When The sun hits it just right,
“There’s a bit of a rainbow doncha no.”
On the other hand, I don’t really
want to taste that rainbow.
Or see it shoved into my ears
every. Single. day-hour-min-sec
But the corner has it all.
Store, drugs, machetes, soda
pop, candy, chips, blood –
poor kid didn’t make it
and no one helped him to
the hospital. That
was a few years ago.
and his blood is still
funeraled
On the sidewalk.
I wonder what he tried to say as people passed.
I wonder what they thought as he passed.
So
I drive by and
people duck, duck, ratatat tat go
down.
And don’t scurry like rats.
Because they can’t.
Push the ground down
and limp on.
Or crawl.
#itsallgood
Imagine the running
of the rats
and the pied piper
Ratatat-tat no
I can’t/won’t.
Those ones. Those kids –
I – didn’t
“I din’t want them to be thr
din’t wanna have ta get ‘em.”
him. not him too.
Yesterday, I ran wit ‘em
“Bro, lemme get one of
Those chips.”
“Naw, man. Almost gone.
Theys mines, bruh.
I’ll getcha later.”
“Tomorrow,” he says.
“Naw, man.” I sucked my
teeth like I didn’t want them to fall out.
“Ms. Bess. has that test tomorra.”
yeah
“Yeah. I’ll getcha on Fri.”
“Aight.”
But I got ‘im on Thursday.
Kid wasn’t supposed to be there!
“Why you thr, man!
Bruh, why you thr!”
Sun setting, pulsating.
Washing the blood
pumping onto the street.
“Why?!”
Soul-stretched-screaming
Into nothing that will ever answer
“Bruh was supposed to be in school,
Man!”
I am a man; cry into a glock
Push off and drive. Away
From him. Head jerks
No tears.
Blood is oil on the pavement.
Red rainbows swirling
And a bloody sun.
- Almost Naive - April 30, 2024
- Interview Q&A With Joseph L.M. Sturm - March 19, 2024
- Corset — Undone - January 20, 2024
