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Poetry

Herbless Pursuit: 42nd Street Antics in Manhattan’s Heart

By No Comments2 min read
New York in the 1990s

Herbless Pursuit

Nearly beat him at
speed chess on 42nd Street

How did you get out of that mess? Sensed defeat
Defenceless king

prostrated
on the worn chequered floor

He said cats hanging out on 9th Avenue
Say Jay sent you and y’all be cool.

II

Along the dilapidation on this Avenue
hustler eye balled while doing his thing

XXX shop on the fringe

whispers
stare ‘Jay’
clicked – all is well

a nod reassures with ease –

III

Hands on a stuffed out genial bag – $25 swell

demand to smell –
make sweat

out the pen –
back against the wall:

eyes gleam red
on rage

IV

Exchange goes through

V

Munching nuts in the Times Square cinema
Sizzling off the reels is Jungle Fever

Plucked
out the pocket

whiffing & this aroma
resembles a pungent parsley.

Bag dashed under the seat &

brooding down the aisle.

VI

In a Bronx pad on Mickle Avenue
Conversing with Greg from Jamdown.
‘The Spicy, the spicy, the new, nooooo,’
Palm raised up to a herbless pursuit.

Poem: Herbless Pursuit

Poem: Herbless Pursuit

Another Poem by Skendong: Is The Statue Of Liberty Bartholdi’s Brother?

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