the myth of community
So I stepped off the stoop into
culture, expecting something
there to give and receive and
weave with the weft
and left to my own origins,
the crass concepts where I reside,
the soil I inhaled, hush, but
such was not the case
and skin and gender and
class met me at the end of the street,
threatened my life, sent
complaints to my third employer,
whispered in jubilant webby groups,
then erased the traces, and eased
to my side to console me.
* * *