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Collapsed vein, Michigan City
Heroin, Heroin, Insulin
South Chicago rusting into the lake
syringes of cadmium, swollen
viscous lead
moving into the forearm,
inside of the legs
through the still body
train tracks, to perhaps ebb in the
marble cavern of Union Station
the beach shudders,
subway musician collapsed
early evening
in the Washington Street underground
Convulsions, banging his
head against the cement,
brown knuckle scratched white
still seizing the throat of
his saxophone
like a hunter shot
through the breast
of his orange down vest
carelessness or ricochet
still strangling the duck
he was returning with
He slavers and gnashes his teeth
a pinstriped man bends over
the saxophonist head,
rolled Sun Times into his mouth,
so he won't bite his tongue off
"we should call
Cook County Hospital."
where he could wait hours,
with bag ladies, their feet
pussed and swollen into their boots.
Then at night through the
box fan in window hum
men argue in Spanish
over a sandwich bag of pot
or the last bottle of a six pack
Wicker Park, the translucent
liquor bottle street light veil cutting
the smell that boils off the river in the heat,
wet dog food and urine.
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