the king cat on thirteen eight three nine
has been prancing towards
the old appliance store
for so long
it feels like he’s always been there
his mouth is upside down now
but somehow
his paint is still as fresh
as the twinkle in his eyes
before he appeared
to strut down woodward
in the town built for whiteness
this was a theater
first for quality films
then for live girls uncensored
then shuttered and abandoned
as the american dream slid
into its nightmare of urban decay
and now
king cat strides alone
his back leg lacerated
where there used to be a door
and if you look through the theater’s eye
you can see the sky
but you can’t quite reach it
Clio 04.29.21