By Karen Lee Stradford

15 minutes of Fame

My dream came true.
I finally got your attention
after being unnoticed
for so long.
I feel like a celebrity.

I’m happy to be
the center of your attraction.
But, I hope that my 15 minutes
will last.

###

Downtown Traffic

I wonder if I’ll ever get there.
Red lights are blinding me
as I inch towards
the Holland Tunnel.
I anticipate
riding through.

Along the way, I see
graffiti plastered
all over chipped
bridges,
broken walkways and
buildings,
torn curtains blowing
in the breeze
through broken windows.

At a dead stop, trucks hurl
past me.
I’m
boxed in.
Horns go crazy.
A cheerful man begs for money,
as he weaves in between cars,
selling water and cigarettes
jingling a silver, dented can.

Shift to park.
The tunnel is
the only thing-
out of order.