beggars

beggars--the both of us

it is hard to sit here

in the corner

without you to light it

to stare up at the matte gray sky

through the bamboo

to hear the blank rush

of the cars in the hills, the wind

the world seems flatter

the night seems dead

without the warmth

of your company

without your voice

to add

depth to the dark

it is hard to see

the rich colors

without being able

to catch them

to give you--without you

to return them, brighter

remember when were starving?

--and hunger was a pleasure

it filled the world with desire

when did it become

lots and alleys--

trenches gouged into the earth

and things scattered

in pieces, across the ground

the cement cold and hard

the tall buildings

catch the dead sounds of the city

in their heights

Sitting on the curb, I saw you

at the intersection

while you were on the way

to yours

I looked up at you

and you glanced at me

--I can give you nothing

God damn your resilience

--our eyes rebounded

flung past each other

were lost

we dissolved

into the vastness of the street