street violence

ticky tacky playwright's nest
welders, pastry chefs, carpenters abound
macabre children
sustained by, stained by, survived by
Hennessy and Jack, meth and crack
cross, intersect, trace, crawl
Coleman, Bank, Broad, State
Jefferson, Willets, Green, Tilley
nicotine teeth bare
yellow incisors tear
white bones twist
evil
a darkened stripper exposed, manically dances
frenzy
stomach churn, turn, spew
murderous crimson and brass pools
by them, from them, of them, for them
chaos pre-sold-out to the masses
"Stop what you are doing!"
no one hears the screams
the legendary El 'n Gee is too loud
wring the mop slowly
again
again