we wanted to ride m.a.r.t.a. without stopping
screaming all the way down the line
to the west end terminus and beyond
blaze new tracks for the good of the community
but the goddam train broke down at MLK
left our boots twitching
us murmuring incantations
over copper tokens—what good are they now?

we didn’t ride where we wanted tonight
we listened to the same four songs over and over
Captain Beefheart, Boz Scaggs.
Penguin Café Orchestra and Whodini
they’re good songs but they don’t mix so well
- - like drinking skanky beer
after a sleek lemon drop martini

so we got off the broken down m.a.r.t.a train
not what we wanted to do tonight
good thing we had our boots on
and a shiny sense of the impossible
otherwise we wouldn’t have walked all the way
to Ponce de Leon
visit Marlene and Kathy
who both work at the Majestic Diner
on Sunday afternoon

we ordered grits and implored them
we said we’d do whatever you want
we’ll fashion a sturdy Balkan ferris wheel
from a strand of pearl hominy
served by your very own hands

by the boy poets tokens spent