I wake up to find myself at any given hour
under the thrum of construction 
thumping and honking, Walt's Brooklyn
always working, always there

I wake up to the pissed off drunk
stopping traffic in front of Popeye's
dragging his sluiced drink and jeweled tooth

I wake up to the storefront church/
down from massage parlor/down from 
the latest skeletal high rise

down from fish tank windows
that only look in
down from the damaged
who wander in heavy coats
and loose boots
down from the door man
who never had to draw this line before

I wake up to find my window half way open
and the building always going on outside it