Poem for Edward
it was a crowded night
with all of us sitting on the green street stairs
the long string of lights wrapped
around the gray city planes
and to your feet
gathering
edward
edward who was
seen the first day, and discounted
and edward
who's story made her laugh out loud, eyes on her, but still
and edward who picked
up a girl in ten minutes on muni
and edward who is
narcissus, growing in the refracted light of pupils
and edward who is
luminous and carnal
and edward who is
a direction in which distant silent flashes, inauspicious slate
and edward who has
written a love poem
and edward
who knows they kiss the same
of course the christinas
christina who just
wants a little intelligent conversation
and christina staring
at the planes of steps, leg, building, wall, face
and christina who
laughs too loud, echoing cement
and christina who
wants to slip her cold hand in his pants
and christina who
lives in the smell of lilacs, muddy spring of attenuated torment
and christina can
almost smell your hair
and christina,
arrogant bitch who thinks she's brilliant, and keeps asking these questions
unabashed
they were all pushing each other, and brushing against each other and avoiding each other and somebody got aroused and somebody got offended and a fight broke out and surreptitious sex against a burnt out light post occurred and somebody lit somebody's cigarette and somebody said something they oughtn't and felt embarrassed and two people felt cold
the cement was cold
where the bay bridge lights
hit the water
where eyes hit hand
hanging loose
from knee
pointing at twelve fifteen, late
where the top of
the bridge
hit
the fog
a lot of work in the morning
in between
that chain
of lights
and
the pitch
waters
we fail