POLITICS AS USUAL - CHICAGO STYLE

Falcon mused me about Chicago, so I wrote this poem about politics in Chicago. POLITICS AS USUAL - CHICAGO STYLE * The wind cuts through you Like a sharp buzz saw As you clench to your chest The top of your coat * Your resilience shall now be put to the test as you hurry along to meet with the rest * The hustle and bustle Of the early lunch crowd The din of street musicians Too cold to take a bow * The smell of coffee brewing On lower Wacker Drive Holds the promise of warmth Once you reach the inside * As you passa man Begging change to eat You contemplate life On Chicago city streets * The heavy door opens with a slamming clang In this place where legitmacy as illusion reigns * As thesmell of Newsprint and cigarettes overpower the smell of a printers row brunch * The Journalists and writer's all expressing their views allseeking new material for writing their news * The lines being drawn Are sharply defined As the ones choosing Black instead of with cream * It’s the city that works Beyond rhyme or reason And the topic of Chicago politics is always in season * though Nepotism is strictly part of the game You wouldn’t want to put Your family to shame! * That's how it allworks Even though it’s flawed And It’s been that way Since time immortal * The main streets are beautiful The Lake, a bright Jewel While the alleys and backstreets Are dangerous and cruel * To come in the summer Is something other-wordly To come in the winter leaves you dark and surly * As the winter sun dims And the day grows short it’s back to your job To cover the story. * WordPlaya, Sept, 2009