He walks in new steps
out of his city, his alley, his archway
walks in new steps
feet leaving the broken shoes
chest emerging from the bloodshot shirt
walks in new steps
in the rain, in the rain…
always in the rain
He casts off the layers
the hat and mask
the polyester and glitter that didn’t keep out the rain
and the clown shoes.
He finds his workman’s pants and his path
and walks again
He thought he could run but he walks again
in the rain
The dirty acid rain splashes
around him, serves only to cleanse him
as he walks. The echoes of his steps
reach the corners of the world, but his steps
are quiet.
His feet are bare
and his blood marks his path.
The acid rain can’t fade it.
He brings the fields green to the city
the grey sea-rush to the suburb
the ancient stone to the skyscraping offices.
Brings faerie lights to the freeway
faerie breaths to the runway
hedgerow-river mead to the glass apartments.
He sends home dreams as he walks in new steps,
bare and brave in the rain.
(First published in the forum on atu2.com)