I was a fool
but I was tempted
buy crack
so I got in the car
with the pros
an older white driver
and a young black
both sinister
and they left me
in the Hill district
of Pittsburgh,
a black ghetto.

I stood there
watching people
come and go
ominously
until another
young black
approached me
and told me
he had a gat
so I’d better empty
my pockets.

You might as well
kill me, I shouldn’t
be here, I’m just a
dumb cracker ass
trying to get high,
I told him.

When he saw
my bank card
he said, ooh, no,
don’t say that,
you believe in God,
right?

”Oh yeah, sure.”

Good, cause I woulda’
shot your ass if you
didn’t.

700 dollars,
lots of crack,
the house of two junkies,
a white crack addict,
and a black whore
later
saw me running
down the street
for my life,
to end up 80 more dollars
out
for an escort to the bridge
downtown.

I looked up at
the black girl
staring straight ahead.
The only other person
waiting for the bus
Sunday morning,
and said: You know,
I just spent a night
on the Hill…

She kept looking straight
ahead, unphased.

Once home
I scanned all corners
but still didn’t know
how to love my cat.