Voices The voices in the street sound strange to me And so many of the voices sound the same to me And sometimes it seems as if it is all the same voice In the buildings and on televisions The voices the voices the voices Voices without wine… voices without flowers and grass… Voices without feast… voices that do not need A kind autumn or spring breeze… voices that do not need Music or Shakespeare or Turgenev The voices in the street remind me of congested highways… Or gas stations… or video games… waiting for the shift To end down at the factory or office… of movie theatres… Of most popular music… it reminds me of the false smiling Faces for magazine covers… of currency… of designer jeans It reminds me of men walking through the aisles of an Adult video store… it reminds me of horror movies and amusement Parks… of waiting down at the credit union or bank or checking Joint to cash your check…  a kid with an open mouth yawning in A college library… police officers watching and waiting For something to happen on a Friday or Saturday night in the suburbs… It reminds me of drag races… of nothing much going on in this town… Of trying to say something to someone that you think Might interest them… of women and men getting dressed up to Sit down in bars and clubs… of watching football games on Saturday and Sunday afternoons… of crowds and the Drums and whistles at parades The voices The voices The voices