Oh Staten Island

oh Staten Island
you are golden
in the sweltering August haze
of toxic car exhaust
across the bay
...the platinum porno palaces rise
and glint
make you squint
as you sit on your bench
on Buono Beach
bobbing cormorants bark
stay
stay
stay
just a little bit longer
please
please
please

oh Staten Island
you are golden
bury me under
the wisteria
behind Alice's Gingerbread Box
or better
set me out on a driftwood pyre
set afire
set afloat
under that "god-damn" bridge
a Staten Island Jewish Viking
sailing off
Valhalla awaits
buzzing
wired for wi-fi
and totally free
and totally free
and totally free

Oh Staten Island
you are golden
my dear
greenbelt burnt brown
sunburn stretches
sweet sweet tea
nursing it like a wound
an unexpected child
a deviated septum
can still sense the past
escaping through the torn up asphalt on the old post road
moaning Vanderbilts
cry for sea-salted bait shacks
chokecherry jelly
Stapleton beer
smash the bottle
let the genies out
let the genies out
let the genies out