John Grey
Subway wheels squeal on track.
Car horns blast.
Babies scream.
Mothers scold kids.
Briefcases slap against the thighs
of business types.
An argument breaks out on a sidewalk.
A boombox pounds
a bass oceans deep.
That’s the ears taken care of.
And then there’s the eyes.
Brown river.
Gang tags on brick walls.
And the nose.
Sulfur fumes from the construction site.
A waft of corn beef
through the door of a diner.
And taste.
That two-dollar hotdog
overflowing with relish and mustard.
Make no mistake,
you’re in the city.
Now fondle your credit card,
get a feel for living here.