A Beautiful Evening, A Beautiful Night

Come downtown when shadows pool
beneath skyscrapers and topaz light lingers above.

Come under the whispering elms at Chapman Square,
smell the smoke at Riot Ribs and smile.

Twilight will hang in the air for hours
before clouds of tear-gas surround the courthouse.

Sway to drums with the rest of the crowd,
sway to the cadence of the black preacher on the steps.

Someone’s boom-box is playing reggae.
There’ll be LRAD and flash-bangs later.

In the last rays of the sun I read Legal Aid’s number
written on my arm by a stranger with a Sharpie.

The day’s heat fades to gentle warmth.
My fist in silhouette against the darkening sky.

It’s a beautiful evening for insurrection.
It’s a beautiful night to start a revolution.

Books Available
Country Well-Known as an Old Nightmare's Stable
High-Voltage Lines
Knocking from Inside