Wrecking Ball to Tenement

by John Grey / February 23rd, 2020

So what if you’re
a hundred-year-old tenement
and have been home
to many families
from Polish to Portuguese
to black to Spanish.
That means nothing to me.
I’m a giant ball of steel
swinging on
an unbreakable chain.

I get to do this again and again.
Before the hour is up,
you’ll be nothing but rubble.

Like the guy on your third floor
who liked nothing better

than slapping his old woman around,
I don’t have feelings,
just consequences.

John Grey is an Australian poet, US resident, recently published in New World Writing, River And South and Dissident Voice. Latest books, Bittersweet, Subject Matters and Between Two Fires are available through Amazon. Work upcoming in Paterson Literary Review, White Wall Review and Cantos. Read other articles by John.

This article was posted on Sunday, February 23rd, 2020 at 8:02am and is filed under Poetry.