Arts for the 21st Century

Westside

It’s five and golden. The tide, fat

and swelling. Traffic is easy

like the Joker in the deck the gods

are playing. Behold, the patchwork

 

of tired metal and steel, floating

to its final kilometre, laden

with matchboxes on wheels, gadunk,

gadunking home. She saunters

 

ahead, twirling, touching the rails

tenderly, her tresses tousling

against the evening gale. He follows

in silence, no grin for the wind,

 

no homage for the wobbling Demerara,

but choler quickening him from behind,

possessing the pyrrhic victory and

wrapping his arms around her waist—

 

she overjoyed by the pleasant surprise—

as he heaves them over, onto

the wings of love taking flight,

while the rest gadunk, gadunk westside.