Words That Burn

Gargoyles by Lucien Stryk (1927-)

 

Hungry-eyed fogies

gargoyles in full cry

above the ruck and tumble

 

of the street. They stare

through shadows at

a first-class loser, failed

 

at selling shoes, flunked

waiting tables, freaked

out at knocking holes

 

through cellar walls for

slumlord hovels, scratched

through flea-bitten nights

 

in far-off places, fumbled

over phrases for a shrinking

ear. Open mouthed, they shrug

 

me off, but I don’t care. An

empty bag, I litter-dance in air.