From Far Formosa's Warm and Wonderful Winter

each drop of starting rain reminds me
of deluges and dreary days overcast and chilling
tire wheels splashing puddles wave toward street curbs
dammed up corner sewers beige and golden leaves
red autumn exodus of weakened winter trees
blown wicked wind wetting skirts and pants
unprepared boots and inside-out umbrellas

there must be a chill in the air of Thanksgiving
a long parade of sickening Santa pretention
pasted over memories of childhood retention
wasted Halloween jack-o-lanterns
that could have become pies unrotten
and stacked up cars windshields wiping
Hasidic boys hurrying in shower-cap fedoras

angry gray sky of Brooklyn Novembers
only as nice as childhood remembers
adult inconvenience of finding car service
wasting in malls and musty museums
revolving lead library Grand Army Plaza
stayed home and safe from night travel madness
cable disruption at least there is Swiss Miss

trains aren't running past DeKalb again
the lie that's a pity, 'the greatest world city'
outside dark danger of ghostly leftovers
drunkard smashed bottles and whiffs of urine
nothing you've got there you really need
century twenty-one man down-coat plead
only your friends would smoke that weed

the raindrops are vanishing from spotted Han boulders
large graceful egrets take to the wing
palm trees soften the sting winter brings
a stray dog strolling holding head high and wagging
Brooklyn in autumn approaching and sagging
with puny beauty lost in snot and sleeze
from far Formosa's warm and wonderful winter

11-22-13