an evening meal with langston hughes, william carlos williams, christopher columbus & lady liberty

I.
i fell into birth
licked down like
sand tongue, salivating
water toeing
against continent; i got me
a country this way

II.
middle of the map;
supposed to be

III.
my dream is painted
on the pavement smeared
with dog-shit; metropolis
sunlight striping my coat
and my face, turned up
to catch like a baseball
glove, cratered with the
blow of dream

IV.
i don't want to depend, least
of all, on your red
wheelbarrow

V.
have you ever seen the veins
of a carrot? fine
sanded like arms
of tired woman, come down
for dinner, my mother
calls.

VII.
i didn’t do it well
the crowning, so they cut me
out, islanded me;
i’ve been taking my time to ferry
towards lady liberty
and her sharp, sharp
head.