Scott Hightower

THIS BROADWAY LIMPED BY CRIPPLES

Look what the cat dragged in,
vernal pool! Phase of the moon.

No Calvary or cavalry.
A knight.  A champion:

*Superman with his red cape,
fresh out of…  the telephone booth? /

*glamorous Superwoman
with her flowing tresses,

boots, and glowing, golden,
empowering lariat!

There’s a river in the night
and a fire in the sky.

Huzzah! No one
does it alone

and some take oodles
of patience. Here we are

with our bouquet
of imperfections:

simple mortals,
soft bodies,

brittle bones;
space for emotions

to be felt, to breathe;
small decent rituals,

in need of
and dispensing

survival and comfort.
Be careful;

there are villains
and grifters among us;|

just about everything
can be broken,

not everything broken
can be fixed.

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Scott Hightower has published five books of poetry in the U.S. and two bi-lingual collections in Madrid. A sixth stateside book, Lord of the Marsh, is slated for this Spring. He lives in Manhattan and teaches
at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU.