Virus's Verse

After Gwendolyn Brooks: We Real Cool

We versus viruses, virus's verse,

we weirding waitresses waiting

in line. We buying sickness for

suffered and blind. We twisting

spoons with the needle and vine--

Wrapped leather belts and the

little brown bag, we squeezing

sleeveless and wiping a rag.

We holding handles and hawking

at doors, we lurking late on

the stairs of your porch.

And we diving dumpsters and we

washing cars, and scrounging for

change on the floors of the bars.

We's growing thinner, we's seeming

dimmer.

We jazzin' crazy

all night

at the moon,

passing and sharing

we get the bug soon.