red and blue and red again
draw my love to the far end
of the building where
a pedestrian did not make it
across the street and so
lies broken, not in pieces
but as if newly jointed
below the knee, below the elbow
below the sternum too
emergency technicians
seek to reconstruct him
without the unfortunate bends
before they load him
onto a body board
and into their truck
for a ride into darkness
and maybe to a hospital
the vehicle which
inflicted these new joints
was long gone when the cops arrived
and has not returned
not that the cops know of
this is the city's way
mayhem by culprits unknown
if this were a movie
somewhere in a nearby alley
shadowy figures would converge
each dressed in an overcoat
topped off by a fedora
money would exchange hands
perhaps suitcased money
someone would mutter "Sacramento"
or perhaps "sacred mentos"
no one would ever know for sure
but this is not a movie
just a curiosity
one neighbor bums a cigarette
from another, a woman in shorts
and a halter asks "Does anyone know
his name? Is he one of ours?"
a man in jeans and a T-shirt asks
"Has anyone else claimed his beer?"
and gets a dirty look from a cop
the EMTs load the broken man into their truck
lock the doors behind him
and set off quietly, the cops
tell everyone else to go home
then ride off in their vehicles too
my love comes home and tells me
her adventure, and I
I pen it for you and him
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