A Gap In the Gyre -- Part 1

An old hotel in Portland Rain hitting street lamps The buzzer Click Surveillance camera “Can I get a room?” It used to be called the "Burnside Triangle" back when it was still gay Bump Bump da Bump da bump Nightclubs bangin’ Young twinks in their twenties They chat and drink The hopeless live upstairs By flickering neon sign An old hotel in Portland “That’s $40” “Will I be directly above the” Bar of soap, towel, and remote “These aren’t already in the room?” When will she leave! Needle, syringe, just waiting on Tar on the street shines with Oregon rain. Back when Stark Street used to be Gay Waiting in the room Bulb lacking a cover Ugly fluorescent Bed bugs and the dark lady Getting sick Waiting on “Dope! Man that’s dope! We can get some E in Chinatown” Twinks downstairs ain’t waiting yet Their day will come It’ll come like it did for me and now, Still waiting on that great fall in the “Elevator? Is there an elevator here?” When will she leave! An obstacle in the way I am out of rhythm I wait! And wait Arrival Buzzer Click Door Water Melt Cotton Slam Ellipses . . . Okay. I’m rockin’ and rollin and feelin’ human The rhythm of life has come back I try not to think about the jones that’s a lumin’ For now, I see gems in this shack “It’s still happenin’ here on the Burnside Triangle.” I say to a street urchin bummin’ a smoke. “I don’t see it no more” the cigs bob and dangle “Well Scandies is still bumpin’ and the bar’s filled with folk.” “This place is just a shadow of what it used to be.” he said walking away Gotta get back upstairs and fold the sheets for the people that work during the day It’s called Harvey Milk now, which means that it used to be gay It happened to Union Avenue before gentrification, now it’s call M.L.K.