BRUCE MARTONE Poems

I'M JUST A LONELY BOY LOOKING FOR SOMETHING NEW
SHE WAS A WILD GIRL LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TOO
SO THEY WENT INTO THE WOODS
BEHIND AND OLD FENCE
...

[ HMM HMM, HMM HMM, HMM HMM, ]
OH MY NAME IS PREACHER JOHNNY BROWN
I GO TO TOWN TO TOWN LIFTING UP PEOPLES SOULS
WHO ARE DOWN BY HELPING THEM TO BELEIVE
...

WHEN ANTHONY WAS JUST A BOY, LIVING ON THE EDGE OF TOWN IN AN OLD BEAT UP APARTMENT BUILDING ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR IN BROOKLYN WHERE ELEVATOR NEVER WORKED AND THE STAIRWAY WAS ALWAYS DARK SO THE KIDS COULD HANG OUT AND SMOKE THEIR CRACK AND ROB THE OLD LADIES OUT OF THERE MONEY FROM THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS. THE OTHERS STAYED INSIDE THERE APARTMENTS TOO AFRAID TO OPEN UP THEIR DOOR. AND FOR ME I ALWAYS HAD TO BE CAREFUL TOO AND LOOK OVER MY SHOULDER AND KNOW WHEN TO RUN AND WHEN NOT TO SAY ANYTHING IF I’M CORNERED EXECPT GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT AND THAT WAS ALWAYS MONEY OR A LIGHT FOR THERE SMOKES OR EVEN TO BE A LOOK OUT WHEN THEY NEEDED TO STEAL FROM THE CORNER STORE BY KEEPING THE OWNER BUSY.
THE BLOCK WASN'T SAFE EITHER ESPECIALLY IN THE NIGHT THE COPS WOULD NEVER RESPOND TO OUR CALLS FOR HELP. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THEY WERE PAY OFF OR GIVING SOMETHING LIKE MAYBE ONE OF THE GIRLS TO DO THERE TRICKS ON THEM. OR MAYBE THEY JUST DIDN’T CARE OR MAYBE JUST AFRAID TO GET A BULLET IN THEIR GUT PASSING THRU THERE VEST. CAUSE WE ARE THE HIGHEST CRIME AND MURDER RATE IN THE WHOLE DAMN CITY SAID THE DAILY NEWS. WE MADE THERE HEADLINES ALMOST EVERY DAY LIKE MY DADDYS NEWS STORY GOING OUT ONE DAY FOR WORK AND NEVER MAKING IT TO THE SUBWAY GOT HIT BY A STRAY BULLET AND DIE ON THE SIDE WALK.
THE REPORTER ARRIVE TO WRITE HER STORY SHE ASKED ONE OF THE MEMBERS FROM THE RED DRAGONS WHAT HAPPEN BECAUSE HE SAID HE’D HEARD IT AND SAW IT FROM THE CORNER. THAN LATER THE COPS ASKED HIM HE SAID THE SAMETHING. HE TOLD THE REPORTER HE HEARD THE SHOT COMING FROM ACROSS THE STREET I THINK IT WAS FOR THAT KID FOR DATING THE WRONG KIND OF GIRL IN THIS PART OF TOWN. I SAW ONE OF THE LAST’S OF THE DUKE’S STREET KINGS DO IT HE’D THINK’S HE COOL IN HIS LEATHER AND CUT UP JEAN JACKET BUT HE IS NOT ANYWAY THE DUDE MISS THE SHOT AND THE OTHER DUDE BOUGHT IT.
TWO DETECTIVES CAME THE SAME DAY FLASHING THERE BADGES KNOCKING ON ARE DOOR SAYING DOES MR MARTIN LIVE HERE MY MOTHER AND I SAID YES THAN THEY TOLD US THE BAD NEWS
...

yesterday my love pack and went away
saying she not coming back
and now today i see her walking the other way
and how i wanting so bad to follow her now
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I SHOOK WHEN I READ YOUR BOOK
AND I SHAKE UP TO THE ENDING
EVEN THOUGH THE CHARACTER'S WERE PRETENDING
BY TAKING A SHARP KNIFE
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now what if i told you darling
that we couldn't get much higher
that we reach as far as we could go
at least deep down we both can agree
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IF MY SHADOW COULD TALK
THE WORDS HE WOULD SAY
ON HOW I'M FEELING SINCE SHE WALK
AND IF MY WHY'S
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I COULD USE A FRIEND OR TWO
EVEN ONE WOULD DO
AND I COULD USE A PLACE TO STAY
BUT THERE ISN'T ONE ALONG THE WAY
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NOW MARY FORGET THAT FIGHT
BETWEEN US
I NEVER MEANT TO HIT YOU
WHERE I THREW YOU OUT
...