You would hate it here
in this industrial neighborhood
with the screeching trucks
screaming workers
and whistling pipes.

The fifth and insects resting in the kitchen
copulating with no fear of reprisal
and the neighbors bopping in
at all hours
asking favors and interrupting quiet conversations.

The heat is bad.
The water is cold.
The trains are far
and the street life undeterred.
This is a lousy place to lay your head,
this hood I call home
and I wouldn’t wish it on another.

This is not where I hoped to be
at this point in my life
but
I wonder
would you like to stay
for a little while?