scenick

canned oriole-two-matoes
engineered to deliver the power of eighty-seven tomatoes
encapsulated
transport in container-chains through china to mars
in custom gravity
switch spiral radio direct
vitamins ac trickle in synthetic genius
relieve future-loneliness
remind used to know

models at sunrise
(the baltimore model engineering society, started in 1932, operates 2,322,576 square centimeters of rail transport at 225 west saratoga)

by numbers

four . . . .
dimensions
radicals
truths
questions
aims
books
freedoms
types
states
forces
squares around intersection
eight short of riot
or just manageable extermination
for supply of demand

clothing factory at sunrise
(in 1932 schoenemans was granted an injunction to limit amalgamated clothing workers striking against abusive working conditions to four picketers at a time—city police attempted to enforce the injunction at the schoenemans factory at redwood and paca streets)

a part from very very upset

boojum frank ghost sir richard laymon rap
percentages
seasons acts overcoming
whole separate
anytime anywhere on the road lottery
pay the man
pay as you go cash
build and play duress
gracespeedpowercraft
threatening success from rickety hallows
white ball ash bat
heavy atmosphere

russell street at sunrise
(the black sox were the best team in baseball in 1929—they played at maryland baseball park on bush and russell streets)

city in city

mortar melting and blowing away
through night and day
when time lapse
rises a fiery vision quest
expanding wings eyes mouths pulsing
roaring diffused
many thousands dream

oceans right down hill
absorb soaring vision after vision after vision
space beyond absorbs ocean after ocean
absorbs itself
music diffused
many more thousands dream

gothic high school at sunrise
(city college high school moved from center and howard streets to its present location on a hill between the alameda, loch raven boulevard, and thirty-third street in 1928)

no adequate compensation

as if
chemistry were alchemy
physics astrology
mathematics numerology
history eugenics
psychology phrenology
poetry telepathy
our best and brightest
might solve the half-life of fear and hatred
the eternity of what was said and done
engineer redress.
and yet
hail hearty noble youth

former high school at sunrise
(founded in 1883, frederick douglass high school was so named in 1925 when it was moved to baker and calhoun streets)

communitycide

commissioners sprawl about the table
misters bonefish, toadley, macflie, spongeson, and mahlisck
overwhelming putrid farting with donated cigar smoke
dulling single minds with gifted liquor
playing pocketpool with rolls of dough
sharing needles of noxious high
too many kings in the strange deck
they gamble away
children asleep by a coalbin outside
dream of greenfields and bent fishingpoles

southern districts shoreline at sunrise
(in 1922 southern and eastern districts were zoned entirely, including pockets of existing communities, for heavy industry)

eyes in the sky

after the parade with torches and horses
fireflies everywhere
a tug of war on the steep hill
shouting pulling as father inched up
the tower light shining down behind him
“hands off!”
we heaped into the dirt just like that

mill tower at sunrise
(in 1923 after the owners of the mount vernon mills, at the end of chestnut street, failed to negotiate for several months on working hours and pay, workers ended the unsuccessful strike)