Too cerebral writing about cities
City under a cloudless baby
City inhaling a smoke sculpture
Some cities gone of fire
Some cities queered until they’re not
This city—like all cities—is
palimpsest and beach
computer screen of a million moving images
rerouted river smoothing submerged histories
Burnt-out absent city
City of cigarette butts hot
glue-gunned to a cardboard core
contoured stacks of discarded filters
City as archeologist
Pillars of right-angled
wooden blocks City as sea glass
Cemetery full of trash
strewn over the deceased
and beloved bereaved
When they visited
to do research
we told them to leave
How macabre to walk home and think
about who died here and when
Teddy bear cellophane-taped to a light pole
City built over burial grounds
City increasing burial grounds
Can’t pretend the city kills everyone
the same way