SO WHAT REDUX

no one walks into an alley 

like this alley

not here 
not tonight

not in this part of town

sky forbids stars

traffic is hushed

well lit here but so what ?

rot spreads

~

painted words on cement wall

harsh & illiterate

faded & true

but so what ?

mutants & sheep

& under my boots ? 

the busted plastic corners

of a busted music cassette

~

magnetic tape 
giddy

sleek

brown

un-spools into the shape of wind

that takes me back 
oh yes 

but so what ?

theyre coming back too

~

got a length of pipe 

might be lead

like in cluedo
who knows ?

its all i need

metal gets it done

smoke butt after butt

perfect moreish poison

wait

just drag it out

like we all do

~

yesterdays papers
panic flapping & trapped 
caught between the wind & a hard place

obits make the front page everyday

& i feel like 
we say goodbye

to the 20th C day by bastard day

but so what ?

thin sliced meat

~

throw my butt like i hate it

edge my boots 
into 
the 
dirty white light

feels like a movie

& vice versa

but so what ?

its all spam

in the meat world

photo Reaching from the Dagenham Archive

I GET IT DONE BUT SO WHAT

no one walks into an alley like this alley
not here
not tonight
not in this part of this town

sky forbids stars
traffic is hushed

its well lit 
but so what ?
rot spreads

painted words
on cement walls
harsh illiterate faded true
but so what ?
mutants and sheep

under my boots is
the busted plastic corners
of a busted music cassette

magnetic tape giddy and sleek and brown
unspooled into the shape of wind

a busted music cassette
i think
that takes me back
oh yes
that takes me back

but so what ?
its over now

i got a piece of lead pipe
its all i need
get it done

i smoke butt after butt
like each is my last butt

theres yesterdays paper
trapped between the breeze
and a hard place

obits make the front pages these days
and i feel like
yes i feel like
we are saying goodbye
to the 20th c
day by day 

but so what ?
thin sliced meat

i throw my butt
edge my shoes into the dirty white light

i got a piece of lead pipe
its all i need

i see a shadow at the other end
i wonder if its who its meant to be

and if that matters
any more

finish it
rot spread

and so what ?
get it done

from pixabay