near the south’s end
of the viaduct
the tropical forest
I stand with the pummeled mountain
of two dozen kids from the neighborhood
each with a couple of turquoise tipped wings
sunshine from crashing
passion fruit                        without canopy
want laws that shake
hands                                                 we        the shaken
the ones who recover through gardening
camouflage            a fledgling coalition
of churches             headquartered at the end
go in more
resistant to hurricanes
and I only face
hurricanes             topple the nest
after I break
through the shell                        my vital recovery
for the species             handful the dirt
get another flock reintroduced wild
boycotted grapes                        up when the march cut
through 6th street
now return with south side
english             cause you can’t turn
the deez, doze, dat off
or not want to send all the money you make
back to your family

Contributor Notes

Originally from Milwaukee, WI, Karl Michael Iglesias now resides in Brooklyn, NY. His work can be read on Apogee, The Acentos Review, The Breakwater Review, The Florida Review, RHINO Poetry, Westchester Review and Haymarket Books' Breakbeat Poet Anthology. Karl is a proud Poet Mentor in Residence at Urban Word NYC.