the grime comes mixed in with smiles, sunlight and welcome
the indigent on the mattress round the corner from microcenter swank
i suppress the horror stories from middle american well-meaners
yet clutch my satchel closer strolling into San Telmo
wonder if i should regret having no reception for the two young men
who call out as i pass
transitioning from Incan spirituality to urban sprawl
the awakening is rude
riding in from the airport
this could be bangkok or jakarta
it’s not, of course
so at the end of the day
close to my run-out date
for bus tour quotients
there is quiet regoletto cemetary
in which eva finally lies
and, i believe, martha’s family too
bringing respite and some return
faintly, to peaceful calm
on the eve of likely turbulence
of the drake crossing
antipodal 2011 