i sometimes miss
the big dirty city

it's not that scranton
is a bad place
just a boring
vanilla town

men walk by
and nod hello
blankly
women smile
toothy smiles
and the kids
all behave

i'll watch the buses
go by
they only run for twelve hours
and not on sundays
and the sidewalks
close at dusk

back home
someone's stereo
plays a jungle rythym
the puerto rican girls
flock to a rumor
like pigeons
the brothers talk loudly
daring anyone
to listen

i miss
being able to
get a pizza
buy some weed
talk to a bum
rent some porn
watch a brawl
at one in the morning
within a ten block radius

new york
the city that
doesn't sleep
scranton
the city
that hits the snooze button

but sitting with
my daughter
on the porch at night
i realize
that in new york
the stars
never looked this good