Sugar Hill-1991

I.

West Fourth Street
subway platform,
waiting for the “A” train
uptown express.

Yeah,
that “A” train,
Duke Ellington
and
Billy Strayhorn’s
“A” train.

A ride uptown
upbeat and gay.
Get on and get-it-on.

The journey
and destination,
to be free
upstairs onto
Sugar Hill.

II.

The light from the tunnel
is a dark Angel,
that rumbles
towards you,
this Spiritual
that will spirit you away.

It promises
to take you
out of this
down-beat
and ungay world.

Not
getting on the train
but
jumping on the tracks.

Puts you forever in
Sugar Hill.

TP.