And streets are near-empty
of cars
He comes out
marking back alleys
With his signature
eccentricity
With pitted cheeks
He struts
like he owns all street
corners
yellow-pissed by homeless
beggars
whores, pimps
drunkards
gypsies with tarot
And all the nobodies
stencil-blued
by moon
perfectly round
above split-level condominiums
Graffiti Alley, Toronto City @Grace
Posted for Imaginary Garden with Real Toads - 55 Words - Trespasser
and Poets United - Thanks for the visit ~
There is a great difference between street art and graffiti just to sneer at the failing system as they see it. It is as though it is a plea for help but that would never be admitted for that would weakness.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the graffiti is the most beautiful part of this area, Grace. One has to admire the 'eccentric' talent of the artist despite all. Well penned.
ReplyDeleteWonderful and vivid piece.
ReplyDeleteThis could also be called the graffiti artist. Great rhythm and compressions. Your imagery is very vivid. Thanks. K.
ReplyDeleteAgreed with Karin, the imagery is so intense and vivid.. this is such a powerful medium to describe a trespasser. Well penned :D
ReplyDeleteLots of love,
Sanaa
In the daytime he may be a trespasser but at night he belongs and creates...most vividly I suspect
ReplyDeleteTrue art straight from the heart and soul of man.
ReplyDelete"He struts / like he owns all street / corners"...like the creator....so love these lines..true artists are a bit eccentric no doubt....
ReplyDeleteWhat an excellent portrait - both of man and city. Really well-executed in just 55 words.
ReplyDeleteGraffiti can show a lot and sometimes be better than the other stuff
ReplyDeletemay be this trespassing is an escape route to maintain his solace......................beautiful description.
ReplyDeleteA vivid picture!
ReplyDeleteI love seeing all the creative graffiti in cities. London was really awesome!
ReplyDeleteExcellent.
ReplyDeleteAnd I bet he'd want to spray paint your poem all over a wall...it's a fantastic representation of who he is. Great poem!
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't happen to me very often, but after reading the poem I found myself wondering about the speaker... About she or he relates to "the nobodies".
ReplyDeleteWonderful shot of city and duality...
I can see him, owning the nighttime streets he avoids by daylight. Love "stencil-blued by moon."
ReplyDeletevery cool, Grace ~
ReplyDeleteYou paint a picture as vivid and eccentric as the subject of your poem. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteI mentioned on another blog that I once had a friend who was a graffiti artist. He was nineteen years old and had come from California. He was a stoner and didn't believe in making any situation permanent, so he eventually moseyed on and I lost touch with him. I wonder what he's doing these days. This poem is so Shane. He was a harmless fellow who just wanted to leave a colorful mark on the world.
ReplyDeleteVery vivid hard hitting poem Grace...this graffiti artist is gifted and I love the real raw work they do and where they paint their art.
ReplyDeleteFor a time I worked from midnight until 6 AM traveling all over downtown Cincinnati, filling coffee machine in businesses, and collecting the money.
ReplyDeleteYou just gave--in perfect prose--a reliving of that year, and the nightly "stories" which grew from there. I had forgotten. (sigh)
WONDERFUL, your talent for painting, not graffiti, nor wall!
For a time I worked from midnight until 6 AM traveling all over downtown Cincinnati, filling coffee machine in businesses, and collecting the money.
ReplyDeleteYou just gave--in perfect prose--a reliving of that year, and the nightly "stories" which grew from there. I had forgotten. (sigh)
WONDERFUL, your talent for painting, not graffiti, nor wall!
Really amazing Grace!
ReplyDeleteGraffitti are something special:)
Cool!!!!
ReplyDeleteZQ
Beautiful portrayal of the night artist. I like the picture too. As always, your combinaion of words creates a very good piece of art.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesomely rendered character sketch. One thing about a big city - there seems to be room for (and various levels of acceptance of) all kinds of people... even those who, I suspect, would quickly wear out their welcome in a smaller town.
ReplyDeleteExcellent poem, Grace, but I am sad, that you mentioned beggars, whores, pimps and gypsies, all in the same breath ... cuz I am a proud and happy gypsy. https://www.youtube.com/embed/UeojXAKpUXs?rel=0&controls=0&showinfo=0 Love, cat
ReplyDeletetrespassers are ghosts that stroll both at night and in daytime. they are quiet but somehow will eventually speak out in their own inimical way
ReplyDeletewell written my friend. i too take exception for including the pimp in that coterie of unmentionables because all the other's have a story and aren't necessarily 'users' like the 'pimp'.
Great view of a tagger and street artist.
ReplyDeleteReally brilliant writing. Graffiti is an art form for sure. Loved the story telling :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic! There are so fabulous artists with spray cans. They do seem to be ghosts.
ReplyDelete