On The Corner by Grant Gimpel

Sometimes I like to stand in one place
On a busy street where busy streets meet
People eat quickly without regard for taste
The whole country
On the corner
In front of me

Sometimes I like to stand in one place
Uneasy travelers solicit from me
Delightful accents and a smile on their face
The whole world
Is moving
While I stand free

Free from love and greed
From power and captivity
Free from poverty and war

I like to count the pairs of converse I see

Sometimes I watch them careening down the street
On the phone thoughtless, oblivious to everything
Their goes someone famous or maybe just to me
Alone except for
The occasional query of
Where the uptown six might be

The whole world
Is moving
While I stand free

Free from love and greed
From power and captivity
Free from poverty and war

I like to count the pets with warmer coats than me