row mytopia

body of prisoner restless seizing breathless on shore
light on water quiet and slow
dripping from the oar
toward a tunnel out there an island
a kiss in a short and happy dream

rowing on the Patapsco at sunrise
(in 2016 the city began investing half a billion dollars to build out the dream of a clothing manufacturer to grab shoreline and profit from leasing office, residential, and retail space)

how far you go

leeward
to peas beans melons cantaloupes asparagus crabs oysters
orchards picnics
sick sailors immigrants dying contagious with mary
suburban mirage manguano cannery company town
baseball beer dancing burlesque
manufactury refinery petrolasphaltchemicalpool rails
gastank smokestack waste
liberty victory jumboizing containerizing
community clutching sandymuddyoiled rubbishroad
to fairfieldbrownfield
and beyond
to pleasant prospect adventure utopia
sweating river

brdge at sunrise
(in 1916 the hanover street bridge, now vietnam veterans memorial bridge, over the middle branch of the patapsco, replaced the long bridge between light street and fairfield)