first poem in ages

the wind blows a little harsher than i wish
but someone has told me stories of a Pittsburgh wedding

and i remember that the wind is so much harsher in Pennsylvania.

people wave at me while they sit on my property
but in Philly i never would have risked sitting on my porch

so i smile and remember where i put my wallet.

no one from here will ever know what it means when I say
"Philadelphia."

it is a cultural language to them. not an existence.

they like the meanings of words, not feelings.

fear.

the kind that changes your opinion of humanity if you are not wise. that is Philadelphia- a fire so hot with hell your body adjusts it's temperature to survive.

in Portland fear is only embodied by ones own self-destruction.

they do not know what the others bring.