Greenpoint

it used to be
leviton had three shifts
the air reeked of
metallic fumes

carbona from
the factory
shit from the plant
[yes, we have our own feces mill]
which stands on the
worlds largest oil spill
no one finds the humor
or irony
not anymore

now the contractors are
serious about the
environment
of course
now that there are million dollar condos
fed by children of
greenpoint lifers
inheriting the buildings from their parents
budding Trumps all
selling out for outhouses of cash
to the speculators
bloodsuckers
seeing fallow land buildings
factories dotted with
dollar signs
there's money to be made
it's the american way
wink wink
longterm residents ?
well you know
change is inevitable
yeah well sorry for the eviction
thanks for keeping up the
area when the banks red lined it
the new money want in
you know how that goes
be a nice fellow


now leviton has
no shifts
and will
i'll bet
soon be
condo
the language from
the past
the subtle crazy
sometime nasty poetry of the shot-and-a-beer
crowd
is gone
replaced by
incessent cell phone chatter
doesnt anyone walk quietly ?
is everyone afraid of silence ?
the area is more educated
sophisticated
living in brooklyn is hip
you know
and mostly
the new folks are fine
most everyone in their 20's thinks they have invented the
wheel
most are more than ok
its the corporate soap scum
that are intent on
colonizing

that are sucking the soul and skyline out
living as though
yesterday never came
as if
the universe
eventually
does not tilt toward
justice