Anyone Could

(go look into the red woman
across the street
walking across looking into

or the flat blond of the face
here in the cafe
sailing quickly
like the moon among the clouds

the push, the cacophony
of coffeemachinemorninghopesvoices
entangle in the poet’s solitude

making afternoon urgent
in its own terms
and silent like the night)

make his way
to five o’clock
a broom or pen in his hand.

This poem and 'How Does Your Garden Grow?' could not have been written before e.e. cummings wrote in Central Park or Robert Duncon wrote the poems in 'The Opening of the Field' and Charles Olson wrote the essay 'Projective Verse' with Robert Creeley.

I wrote this while I was reading Michael Palmer's essay, 'Take the X Train: A Discrete Series: for Oppen,' in his 'Active Boundaries' (which I bought at Stacy's Books in San Francisco during their going out of business sail, when they were closing down after more than 25 years in business yesterday). I mention these poets names...cummings, Duncan, Olson, Oppen, Palmer in case any of the readers of this poem want other poets to look at.