Breathing exercise

Yes even here in America
with its great plains and grand canyons
its rocky mountains and long valleys
its declaration of independence and bill of rights
its big sky and rapid cities
its spiritual craving and its jazz vespers
making poems
is struggling to breathe

And even here in New York City
at the beginning of the second decade
of the twenty-first century
where anything your heart desires
is for sale somewhere
and if you have enough money
you can be happy
if you know you can leave
in a hurry you can be happier still

When the rosy sun sets over Newark
and the Norwegian Jewel
heads out to open sea
and the lights come on
in the unfinished Freedom Tower
and all the junk shops with "Going Out of Business" signs
in their windows finally go out of business
it'll be time to catch your breath
and head for the highlands

But even up there in the watershed
where paved roads wind past
protected reservoirs and wildlife management areas
where hordes of snowboarders
descend Mountain Creek's runs
and psychopathic barbers
strop their razors while listening to Limbaugh
and the only way to get warm
is to start a fire
there is no time to breathe