overheard words

Marie Kazalia


conversations forced to overhear
through the door of my room
alone
I can't day-dream away
things intruding on my thoughts
On the antique tram one day
little boy whining over and over
Mama they don't have no seats
they don't have no seats here

walk past a man squatting on the sidewalk
sketching a tiger from a magazine photo
reminds me
in past times artists often poor
so they could do their art
now the homeless do art because they are poor
to make a few nickels selling
or art for therapy
sketch draw and paint fast
to get out a finished product
sometimes wrestle with a bit of anxiety
through images
making choices on paper
boxed in from making few in their lives

Cover Prior Next

The 2River View, 3_2 (Winter 1999)