erbacce-press

Stashu Kapinski is an amalgam of voices from the Lawrenceville neighborhood in Pittsburgh where Lisowski grew up--unemployed steelworkers, chronic drunks, disenfranchised immigrants--who, in spite of it all, have not totally given up...

A TRIP AIN’T NOTHIN’ BUT A FALL

Like usual, I ain’t payin’ attention,
rushin’ into the Eagle to play my number,
rushin’ so’s I don’t miss my bus to town
when bam! I run into her.
We both fall down,
but she gets up quick.
“Damn!” I says. “Tush,” she says.
“Holy shit!” I says. “Son of a bitch,” she says.
“I can’t believe my eyes,” I says. She laughs.
“Tush,” she sorta sings—it’s her pet name for me.
I start to apologize in a thousand ways.
Must be twenty years since I seen her last.
An’ she’s lookin’ only a coupla years older.

She’s smilin’, her blue diamond eyes
shootin’ a million dazzlin’ sparkles.
I try to get up but, hell, know full well
I’m only gonna fall down
harder again.

*************************************************************************

To buy this book click on the cover or if you use
PayPal add it to your orange shopping cart