Outside the Room

somehow
between the street on 5th and main,
the cane tap out a passage
i'd heard long ago

The message is brailled onto
skins of bike messengers.
smoke furls from hollow lungs.

pretty girls hand out liquid detergents
Street prophets hand out pamplets and lotus.

Outside the room, the gasoline burns.
Inside the room, conditioned boredom.
Outside the room, coins drop into hats,
guitar cases, cupped hands.