Minstrels On Albany Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Here they are!
Excuse those crazed.
Some are strung out on crack,
Share a 'joint' or two
With children they raise!
And praised they are not like their jailed fathers.

And the sweeping chills of hymns sung,
And heard leaking from nearby churches...
Streaked by early Sunday morning light,
And upon Parishioners of assorted fields of endeavor,
Lift voices sweet in gospeled harmonies.
And sure to be blessed with the hefty tithes they left!

All around them is big business ignored.
They prefer whoring,
Oppose to prostitution!
And they feel this processed thought,
Saves their souls!

With turned up noses...
Rolling up car windows when they leave.
As if the smell on the street...
Will awaken them from a sleep too deeply slept.

If we step this way...
Careful not to disturb those nodding,
Or in glazed stupors.
Minstrels on Albany
Grouped in cliques, gangs or just stand to watch...
Are observed,
Passing cars and crowded buses taking folks downtown.

'Look. Over here! Don't miss it...
Police are quick to respond from precincts,
Conveniently a few feet beyond
Reprised acts of crime.
On devalued property where 'turf' wars are fought,
On littered concrete and broken glass.'

Yet,
In the mornings...
The sunrise is welcomed,
By the sound of a cello playing!
Students are rushing with backpacks full.
Curry scents freshens a warm breeze shifting.

These scenes have been edited,
And will not be part of the 'tourist' package!

And in the mix,
Congestion begins to transfix idled perceptions.
Funksters seeking tricks,
Slip from behind abandoned buildings...
And cardboard boxes taped with paper!
As sunlight sheds more nakedness on realities.
And it seems the sadness of this festival...
Is also the reason that it treats and hypnotizes,
Those looking for lost energy
Dramatized and highlighted daily...
As one of 'thee' places to avoid!
But sightseers are always quick to ask,
'Where is the best fried chicken! '
And...
'Aren't these performances incredible?
They are remarkably fresh with precision.
And none are getting paid for this activity?
That! ...Is a stroke of genius!
Minstrels On Albany is a winner of sensations! '
And...
In the mornings,
The sunrise is welcomed.
By the sound of a cello playing!
Orchestrating the movements
Of students rushing with backpacks full.
Curry scents freshens a warm breeze shifting.
And the Minstrels on Albany clear throats to beg...
Or share another hustling way to ease this life!