Spring Series

I.
men in suits on cell phones
dodge past leaf blower blasts
and groaning, hissing city buses;
sunglasses shielding their eyes
as they hustle through the city in May.

II.
on his riding lawn mower,
Mr. John sweeps his yard
in even passes, cutting his grass
at night, headlights on;
diagnosed 'legally' blind,
Mr. John grew ornery.

III.
Wu-Tang Clan rapper Method Man
calls flip-flops feminine in the song "Ya'Meen,"
I listen to the song walking over freshly trimmed
grass clippings on the sidewalk
on my way to class wearing black flip-flops;
I inhale the smell of the grass hanging in the breeze
but won't bend to smell the lilies while the song plays.