Saturday, January 31, 2009

Milwaukee

Milwaukee, orange bridge and skyline
Polish flats on the shoreline
Spanish architect and a German statue
Ghettos and ghettos always
Juneau hid you
And threw his French brie at Chicago

Milwaukee, when I walk through Greenfield
I love trees as much as you do
Why did you let the bastards move west?
How did you keep that heavy steel buoyant?

Milwaukee, are you high?
You sold Pabst Blue Ribbon!
Do you really expect love art love Summerfest
without it?
They listen to the lies of Miller
Because you fucking sleep all day Milwaukee
We want to drink Lake Michigan
Before we go to churches

Milwaukee, are you going to keep your smokestacks
When Obama shoots them all down?
When you built the new interchange
Did you forget the onramp to the 21st century?

Milwaukee, remember when everyone killed each other?
I think your cold made them crazy
Remember when you tripped my grandma?
She broke her leg,
Thanks

Milwaukee, Miller Park is stupid
I-94 smells like yeast
And you never watch the Brewers anymore
You put new bricks on city hall
And riding down Wisconsin Ave.
I see your houses
They get new and west
Oppressed depressed impressed farms

Milwaukee, Wolskis and Conejitos
A tea place named after rock, paper, scissors 
Cross legged heads are the grass
On a summer day sipping Rishi
A giant octopus guards the shore
Even you, Milwaukee, have a wavy blue collar

Milwaukee, one day my ashes will sleep in your grass
Or Lake Michigan
Making friends with the Whitnall Park trees
And I too will be your Fall leaves

(this is not done yet)

2 comments:

  1. shit you need to send this one to the mayor.

    ReplyDelete
  2. john, this is nice.
    i can't wait to see this completed.

    ReplyDelete