lanky gal in swelter garb    tummy foaming out
barbed and fumed  punk  but no feud            
with a hench of post adolescent scents
and cradling a foppy doll of a rat dog

kibbling chancers stop                                      
         and ghop in adoration at the indulged pup
coddled on its back  and in its 'mamas' arms
its peddling limbs faffing with the hot air
                                 and attention

dry as a butterfly   and legless as an atlas
buttressed by a mattress            
     the gap against the wall
to sleep   or  at least    
to practice

the slanting sun  outwits the bedroom               
                            carves in the morning knife
cavities balled into the mystery   a spent cartridge of night      
bidden away is the bask   of a coupling umbrella-ed          
(guilded by narcotic somnolence  and a few drinks)
now  each fearful  in face of the lover    
       one wondering etiquette
    for the ridding
     of the other

the fails  the falls          actual trips
on the pavement
               flat out  in male heat  whimpering
commandeered    by mating itches
                            you trace the pattern    pursuing your needs
you've probed the city beds                      
     for the love song  some tremor of heart
              but  it becomes more akin to research
lurching through the 'feeding grounds'                      
too many 'successes' and some hard 'romantic' hurts
it becomes numbers                                            
       and used condoms skinned off your member
you do that long enough                                          
                ­  and you've become something criminal
you act the brag   call it 'throwing ****'
                  and imagine it 'the glorified hunt'
your discourse with girls                              
                 power toward vital recitals that 'score'
toss out your heart and suss out 'weaknesses'
(the same weaknesses you loathed                          
                     in your own beginners wounds)
before long you've become a bored and pushy criminal
never quenched
chasing the young with vile deceit
not even a shower between each 'victory'
you daren't bring them to your place anymore
taxi cabs have your address flagged
send up verbal flares        
          to any potential fares
with you   a daring destination
    ***** lair of aggressor ego
mister 'never takes 'no''
****** predator

gestures for use on the neighbours   it'll ward off isolation
foreign no longer        but privately guarded  
buffered against secrets     we're neighbours now  
lock in with these people                                                        
click eyes    like desert lizards                                                        
a­nd lick at the brickwork   to heal its insurance

throwing up our arms to gravy   like a sports fan
an energy of invite   despite  they  each see the other
                                 ****** near every day
fun hats and clothes picked for colours
                  or practical aging
like mating flare
use up the garish leftovers from the artists box
                         and a dog perhaps
garnish  for the family way
a long ladder  shared between neighbours
cause 'hey ! ; our kids match your kids'
and always work toward the perfect sale
prepared for that one forgiving day
                and 'The Move'

bakes the day                                        
corpse human   naked to nature
brewing humid importance
sleaving off psychological impotence
busy  
with library returns