The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Mon 5/21/2007)

[RetroLounge]

Finding Loisaida

Ahora, i will leave my fire escape,
   and, with broad strokes
of spray paint, trace the map

of Loisaida, daughter of Manahatta
    and Boriquen, vanishing
in Lower East Side.

i will spot her braided hair, twist
    and cross of Boriqua migration;
catch her eyes, sunrise red and yellow
    de la bodega;

place my nose on her neck, towering
    aroma of a’uela’s cooking;
and know by her kiss,
    hydrant opened for children,

that she is alive and well;
    that her immune system
has not been given away
    to investors.

i want to swallow her fingers, tenements
    and projects, ringed with booming
timbales and hip hop chants,

and her athletic legs, filled with
    graffiti tags and murals, wrapped
tightly around Delancy to 14th street

while she nods at July fireworks above
    the East River, and sits gracefully
on the brows of Cooper Union.

i yearn to press into her breasts,
    mystical urban gardens, as she
opens and contracts her ribs, vibrant
    doors of Spanish supermarkets,

and lay my ear on her heart,
    hear the march of community pride,
as she smiles wide, our own books
    shelved in every library.

i desire her totally naked,
    not wearing a dress from Vienna,
nor from the Salvation Army,
    and with her lock limbs.

Ay, booty-full mami, let us hold hands,
    night before the annual Boricua parade
while driving repeatedly up and
    down Avenue D.

i will, i promise, marry you,
    unless they   raise   my   rent.

Ben Valentin

****************

RL

If you have a request for a certain Poet, post their name in the thread and I will find a poem by them and post it...

if you want to see some of my poetry, see the blog at:
http://www.myspace.com/retropaul

[wildhorses]

1. that last line is priceless

:rofl:

i wondered how he was going to end it;)

[RetroLounge]

3. Yeah, I liked it too

:rofl:

RL

[Inchworm]

2. rawr! hehe

Reminds me of that Meatloaf song. "i will, i promise, marry you..."

Thanks

:thumbsup: