tourist sit like statues
watching life to imitate
installed on the crumbling brick docks
of the maple island powder milk factory
where someone walking on main street
had written in the rain dusted windows
the wholly true, "theresa is pretty"
the sawmill is buzzing again
and creaking wooden steps hold slow moving families
from case to case filled with
red glass earrings and gold napkin rings
beside dusty chairs upholstered in pink
while the drawbridge goes up to let the boats pass
flies hatch in a blue bowl of old bait
sun dot weldments flash above the weak tea water
on the river's other side, a laotian family is fishing in the sun
grandma teaches her granddaughter to wait
spiderweb lines into the water
the trees and rocks and water under the round blue sky
debris tucked into cracks, burger king cups and soda pop bottles
broken malt liquor glass, a tampon applicator
watching in the slight waves from a burping power boat
and a pvc tube ladder lies half submerged
stretching from the water onto the sand
where someone came ashore or set out to sea
and left this evidence of their passage
credits
from The Same 12 Songs,
released November 3, 1997
Words - Jay Orff, Music - Tom Schroeder
Tim Behm - drums
Jay Orff - bass, vocals
Tom Schroeder - guitar, organ, vocals
Karin Park made this album of spare, intensely beautiful dark pop in a converted church building from her childhood. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 18, 2022