In Philadelphia the girls had bobbie sox,
the boys, neckties.
They wore nothing else.
They jitterbugged the afternoon away
drinking Cokes
and combing their hairs
everywheres.
In St. Louis the girls were all white,
the boys, black.
Their babies were striped.
They watched television every day
and believed the ads,
buying soaps
with all their hopes.
In San Francisco the girls were all women,
the boys, well, you know.
No one had odor.
They left the office before dark
to jog Golden Gate Park
and lived in closets
made of banking deposits.
10/28/85
© Copyright 2001 by Joe CottonwoodNext: At night by flashlight