oceanwell

waves crashing on a shore
ears dissolving
reach far into a universe of sound
where we live by the sea
deep low base pulses slowly
underwater
one day the sun will swallow you
soon enough in ecstasy
now is our one time together
swim with me

penn north at sunrise
(penn north, maryland community health initiatives, opened on pennsylvania avenue, just south of north avenue, in 1993)

warehousing them

dicktracy: when will you fix the faulty wiring
herniahernia: we might use some of the wiring to electrocute the roaches
dicktracy: the leaking pipes
herniahernia: they are imbedded in the concrete, as are the leaky gas pipes which poses slightly less danger
dicktracy: the rats come through the holes in the walls and ceilings
herniahernia: we are studying that, if convenient direct them out the broken windows
dicktracy: you could change the lightbulbs and keep the grounds clean
herniahernia: when we fix things they break, we’re saving money in hopes of destroying everything
dicktracy: it’s always cold in the winter
herniahernia: we’ve arranged to have milk delivered
dicktracy: can’t you just maintain working order, i don’t want to be in this war anymore
herniahernia: i won’t say there is nothing i can do

lexington terrace at sunrise
(lexington terrace residents protested unacceptable living conditions with a rent strike in 1993)

undercrowding

acetylsalicylic bricks
antihistamine mortar
suppressant lumber
symptomtreatmentatosis
blasts multiply

struggling street at sunerise
(in 1993 mayor schmoke led a 130 million building program in sandtown to eliminate vacants and provide affordable housing that utterly failed to relieve the community)

reionize

measured unmeasured states
bathed in stellar wind
click
explosive expansion waves excite a planet
shapeshifters save us
from dying in half sky

space institute at sunrise
(a meeting on the status of women in astronomy was convened in 1992 at the space telescope institute at 3700 san martin drive)

where has the ball been

how we hail shiningone near marketplace
in greenfields browntracks under deep blue
crack bat snap glove untouch threaded leather spiderlike in timejust
mindmuscle honor unworn
passing beyond fields seeminglory
descending in shadow rivers streams bayous puddles mud
with glowingother runners shooters
of blood dark serpentine onto paved streets
carrying loads of rubber steel petrol spectaclesoul.
shiningone glowingother meeting
swallow brownred nipples purplepink glans
beads of sweat electric lips
bodytouch mindgive
glowingother to stride in greenfields browntracks
sprinting hurling birthrite joyous spacegrave
beyond where roses fade

retro stadium at sunrise
(oriole park at camden yards opened in 1992)

insist

you are so virtuous rapid
i dance in you
skating radiofuzz fast fat
pow cold raindrops in windy trees
boom pop warm leatherwood
punching steelwet bricktight
spinning quasar loud and soft you smile
open love melody in changing sky
somersault leaping high
dark spinning arms
round resonating celebration
joyous hissing sweat in cool breeze
bright laughter floating on air
soul washing rhythm congregation
eyes focus
reverberating time and space
layer stepping
shine on everyone
waltz away cancer bullshit
listen respect harmonize read listen just find out

cathedral street at sunrise
(in 1989 max roach performed at artscape, which has been staged annually since 1982)

lizard

you wont remember
packages from china near sisson and twentyeighth
large numbers from medical centers
cramming spaces under streets
suffering
confinement by physicians researchers planners engineers
smelling organic explosives
escaping in locksprawl ambush
primal urge to consume polaralterizing diet
shapeshifting inside and out
until alienselfreunion
in streets of pure celebration

lizards at sunrise
(records and a map of murals installed since 1987 are published by the city https://outcomestat.baltimorecity.gov/dataset/Baltimore-City-Murals-Project-1987-to-Present-Map/7riw-dcxk, which started funding murals in 1975—john ellsberry created the reptiles moving east from jones falls crossing 28th on sisson)

mother and pride

as if you will take me back into you
i eat your food
let your love wash over me
skim flying between your light and dark
you welcome me as i left
floating between life and death
before i dissolve into you and eternity

clipper memorial at sunrise
(in 1986 nina schack, vincent lazzaro, barry duckworth, and armin elsaesser were lost at sea with the pride of baltimore, which first sailed in 1977)

fully lighted with fires

benjamin franklin butler camps in the warrens under federal hill
each day slowly in full uniform walks to the artillery
fires a shot into the heart of our city
our soldiers die east west southeast southwest
we have not surrendered
have not been destroyed
until we lift overhead our swords
then humbly lay them down
he pummels us like slowly dripping water

urban revelopment at sunrise
(a 1983 a civil rights commission assessment of city economic development recommended greater effort to foster black businesses, more equitable commercial lending, increased city contracting with black businesses, increased access to technical and management training for black community members, more aggressive corporate affirmative action, more relevant job training for unemployed community members, and immediate and concerted action to reduce unemployment—the mayor’s office responded that it was false to assume “that a government like ours bears sole responsibility for producing results”)