Poem-a-Day DBF countdown: Karen G.

The Aug. 26 cover story “Monsters of Poetry” puts the spotlight on the poet’s art to preview the fourth annual Decatur Book Festival, to be held Sep. 4-6. This blog will count down the days to the festival by posting a poem each day by a different writer, to let the verse speak for itself. For Aug. 29, “Summer City Python” by Karen G.

“Summer City Python”

Nothing brings out the smell of poverty

like Georgia summer heat.

We become cats clawing for scraps

our gazes harden into chain link fences

and there it is--

the rising fetid perfume of dumpster

termite wood and bathroom

meeting with magnolia, gardenia, honeysuckle

overly sweet with the tacky pink of mimosa flower

--familiarize your cheap shoe sole

melting on the sizzling asphalt

the man on the corner screaming about

the Lord coming, another sipping paper bag at 9 am

and we’re just fumbling for the token change

MARTA buses slow and late

struggling for survival like the boys in big neck chains

of dubious metallic origin

and ankled low-riders.