Old glory red, blue, and gory
***** fast in the wind
flattering a country
with its symbolism.

Two young men running
race each other
up and down
the high school sidewalk
only a few blocks away
from the fairgrounds
were some guy
got stabbed in his junk.

Professional building has
only one small stained glass square
with a frame of brown oak
and a blue circle swimming in
light distorting frozen water glass.

A lady stands just outside of
the Wal-mart parking lot
holding up a cardboard sign
saying that she is hungry
and any food would help.
I try to pull over a little bit
but the traffic is awkward
so I do not resist it.

Corner to corner
two drugs stores compete
one CVS and one Walgreen
I’ve seen this struggle
on more than one street.

Older African American gentleman
sits by his bike a couple windows
down from the gym where I go
writing in a yellow notepad.
It makes me feel so bad
because I don’t want
to bother him or be bothered again.

The grass grows green
flowing in the warm spring wind.
The heat is sweltering
but I take all of this stuff in.

This is billions dollars
away from wall-street
and all the crooked politicians.
Business men do not walk here.
This is where most Americans are living.