Sixtyten
by Dave Capone
Brick on brick on— scraped seventy stories
— glass and steel, brick and mortar— lives
— an A/C unit drips— ten— balconies and
balconies— where families used to— birds
fly off the roof— flies and rot and— you
wanted— city buses keep going—
twotwentysix— to have your hand— a child
steps off at his stop— on the— down the street
a rat— thirtytwelve— kept going— he scrapes
his knee— an A/C unit drips—from the
sewer, the rat— child’s blood on the curb—
ten— you wanted the button— seventeensix—
an A/C unit— seventy stories of balconies—
balconies and steps and— nine— brick and
glass— and steel— fortytwelve— scraped mortar—
and brick— six and five— ten— families
used to— rot— unit drips— when it falls—
cars keep going— and balconies— and the—
units drip— a city bus— drips— crashes—
heat and mortar— no sound and— exhaust
and glass— brick— seventy stories of brick—
and balconies— balconies, steel— glass—
on the curb— child’s blood— drips— you
push the button— a rat and— one— families
used to— cars stop— seventy stories of— A/C—
go— fortyfiftyfive— steel and glass and— three
families used to live— brick— falls— sewer
grates and rot— clouds and debris— falls—
cover the street— the rat and— birds fly—
an A/C unit drips— on the brick— the blood.