They always said they’d take it down
hometown girl
going into the tunnel
a smile like the chapel performance space
give it gas on the curve hurtling out
is that her real name
a road foaming as dust
yes it is her real name
streaming rain pale blue light
you won’t know which lines
on the upper level west to the water
will be the chorus
the sunset and wheel
hummed when the concert is over
the lading cranes like orange mantises
how with some you read by hand position
on the lower level under concrete tons
the chord they’re playing
earthquake threat of trucks overhead
but her hand with insect precision her hand in a brushing of leaves
whooshing windows open
choosing only the notes she needed
have you ever fallen asleep on it
can you even imagine no ulterior
have you been declared unsafe
only music and love
have you planned to drive around it
singing a cadenza
days they were inspecting it
and fingering a counterpoint cadenza
did it smile in its flight
on the frets
it held me between earth and sky
as if it were simple to smile
those were my treadmarks high on the barrier
think of the neighbors be quiet as you leave
I made them as dark as I could
the headlights out of the concert lot
and how many times has it been the quick way
turning downhill toward the lake
or the slow way to where you were going