Shytown, 6 PM

indurate (IN-doo-rayt, -dyoo-) verb tr.

1. To make hardy, inured, accustomed.

2. To make callous or unfeeling.

verb intr.

1. To make hard.

2. To become established.

adjective (IN-doo-rit, -dyoo-)

Hardened; callous; obstinate.

Trains on the el track beams
keep above, stalled in three beeps
(glad it ain't me)

An ambulance
weaves through a one-way
past a blue bus stopped behind
a blue bus--
all full, windows bulging,
people cooking in awful overcoated heat
(glad it ain't me)

All it is:
I walk, see
a shoulderbag-toting trooper
deadright
on my view of life
straight ahead
eyes-glued just past the
shoes and
those blue buses, the ambo sirens shout--
fuck, man, is that a
firetruck
too?--
over mumbles and averting glances
crossing on time with white light
words, routine advances--where,
where is the fire, that emergency
where do they all go in such a hurry?--
(glad it ain't me)

Do you know?
Do you know?

City living's like shit-fearing flies
If you believe all you're told
then all you know is lies