Peter Carnahan
Something more than half a body
Balanced, a stake about to be driven,
At the corner of Wood and Fifth Avenue
in downtown Pittsburgh.
He swings on the split pole under this arm
With a grace Barishnikov might envy
Up several hops to the window of
Ralph's Discount City.
If he fell could he get up again
Minus one leg, the pant leg pinned up,
One arm, the black leather arm pinned up,
the black leather cap balanced
Over the black young face?
We fight technological wars.
The young
and
incomplete
Are more often with us these days.
Five makes of citizen band radios
Four cassette recorders
Three portable televisions
Cameras countless and some things
That could only be shaving cream warmers
And a young man minus one arm and one leg.
Miracles of engineering.
If we fall can we get up again,
The machine lying like a beetle
on
Arching its
wings?
The young man
swings
Up the tightwire of the pavement
A
dark eyes ahead
dancer,
Poling, his
weaving
step.
Copyright (c) 2004 by Peter Carnahan