New York Rap

… Walk … … don’t Walk
… Talk … … don't Talk
now Walk the Talk, up Madison Ave
now Talk the Walk, down an Alphabet Ave
go Hip-hop Guggenheim, Bleecker st Blues
corNelia-café Bopping with the Poetry Muse

the Sunlight-slants-down Avenues, exagGerates each Shelf
the Ironwork is a Shadow of the Shadows of itSelf
the Dinosaurs are Fake, else they'd Sink back through the Earth
but the Star of india's Real … don't Ask how much that's Worth

grown Buildings weep in Windows near the World trade Void
… T-shirts signed and Crucified on Railings by this Void
the Soldier is a Cut-out hole, his Names are on the Wall
the Staten island Crossing makes manHattan seem Small

glow in Gold at the Summit of the Empire State
but the Skytrain simuLation is Not worth the Wait
… Major Moma has come Out to Queens
paul Noble builds in Pencil, mondriAn fucked his Greens

buy Leather pants at Thrifty's, from Men on the Pull
at the Met, get disTressed, by piCasso's dying Bull
and the Tangle of live Crabs, in their Chinatown Pail
look, Brooklyn's Sidewalks can Trip up a Snail

go Grand central Terminal, where Trump takes the Train
go Chrysler, rockaFeller'ing, the 5th in the Rain
where the Vagabonds are (Sadly) Always Blacks
and the Wealthy do verSace'ing arMani'ing to Saks
where the Furs cost a Porsche, so buy Panties there inStead
times Square is not a Square, but the Headlines scroll in Red
the Unit of Distance is Known as the Block
but Don't ask the Time of the Nat debt Clock

© Heather Howard 2002

Note: Capital letters denote the beats. If this be treason, make the most of it.