among the americans

there was a curvy woman on the street corner at copley
she had big bouncy blonde hair
she exuded tremendous vitality and well being
i thought the universe somehow favoured her

there was an old lady in the book shop at harvard
clutching an unlikely amount of parcels
bowling along between the aisles
like nothing so much as a bowling ball

there was a black man on the train to riverside
he looked like the toughest black man in america
sitting in a pool of stillness
quietly reading his bible

my life is bearing me away
but you people
yeah you people
you people are poetry