Vagabond Daze by Joseph Reich

I. 

you take your radio 
down to the sea 
hearing all the strange 
soothing melodies 
of the waves 
on the beach 
blending with the casual chatting 
of the broadcaster 
narrating the game 
the distant stray
squawk of seagulls 
& playful banter 
of babes 
(both cherub 
& seductive 
flesh of mermaids) 
blustery banner sputtering 
overhead announcing 
‘all the shrimp you can eat 
pitchers of free sangria.’ 
with a buzz 
you take the trains 
not really caring 
where you end up

II. 

had always thought 
when i used 
to run 
away 
from home 
from port authority 
in new york 
all the way 
to the shores 
of frisco 
when the sun went down 
& all the lights 
went out 
in the greyhound 
& all you heard 
was the wild 
animated crosstalk 
of all those wild 
boys runaway 
from the group home 
& cosmetologists from 
their husbands 
& old brokendown men 
at last left alone 
this here would make 
the perfect 
talkie 
silent film 
with just 
the silhouetted 
land 
going 
down 
inn 
darkness
outside 
the desert 
window

Joseph D. Reich is a social worker who lives with his wife and teenage son in the high-up mountains of Vermont. He has been published in a wide variety of eclectic literary journals both here and abroad, been nominated seven times for The Pushcart Prize, and his books include If I Told You To Jump Off The Brooklyn Bridge (Flutter Press), A Different Sort of Distance (Skive Magazine Press), and others.