A SHELTER POEM

I cannot tell you what it’s like

You gotta sweat it out for yourself

You can only follow me down the steps

Move with me

I dress and leave in darkness and silence

In silence I descend the hole that swallows me

WALK

WALK FASTER

Every minute is a song and every second is my favorite part of the song

So walk faster

You get to the door, present your card and (watch the steps)

Climb higher and higher

‘Til you get to heaven; there is a dance floor there

Hellish smells like someone bottled their sweat and poured out a libation

Every body in the spirit

You tithe by moving out of your bed and down a random street in the middle of the night

The collection plate for this church goes to the food in the back compliments of Mama Bird

THIS IS THE SHELTER

Uninvited funk permeates through your clothes, all over your body, and you just got there

Folks come

From out of state, out of the country and out of their minds

Dressed real nice or stretched out before hand to be naughty

Some nights the regulars are there

Some nights the old heads come out

The music is sick

The sick come to get healed

Some nights the Resident Regisford is there

Some nights Sting is there

But tonight

You climbed out of your bed so you can be present in the body

And you do not leave

Until the last hug is hugged

And the last cheek is kissed

And the last hand waves goodbye

And the sun clasps its hands high and strikes noon