everyone was kinda eyeing up
the new kid in the neighborhood
that would be me
in the alley behind our house
soot gathered at the curb
the empty lot beside the school
that had burned down years before
served well for pickup football
games
so i showed off my speed
not knowing how to answer
some of the snide remarks
about the 'commanists' that
used to live in the house
we had just moved in to
i don't know how it started
but everyone started calling me
benji
after my middle name
since i did play clarinet
and besides
i was a jew
who was happy or sad enough
to run circles
around most of them
across every empty lot
on the 'nor' side
instead of chasing down loose
change
to buy another pack of pall malls
winter brought black ash
on white snow
so i had to get into playing pool
to stay warm
pittsburgh after all was nothing
more than a company town
of 1950s slimy politicians
looking for new ways
to urban removal
or 'screw the people'
& wave the flag
all at the same time
so sometimes you just have to
cut out your space
& make the most of a lousy hand
you were never gonna be
another bobby layne or john henry
johnson
you were stuck right now
up against the murky rivers
of time
and circumstance
as my dad would always tell me
everything will change
when the time is ripe
and the wind is at your back
--- e b bortz
