My friend, the first Boston Poet Laureate Sam Cornish, sent me this poem for the LYRICAL. We ( Ibbetson Street Press) published his collection of poetry ” Dead Beats” last year and it can be purchased by sending $15 (check or money order) to Ibbetson Street Press  25 School St. Somerville, Mass. 02143 or it can be ordered online at  http://lulu.com/ibbetsonpress.

The Dirty Faces

for Max Steiner who composed the music

They were the altar

boys fingers

in the blood

of Christ eating

the bread

preparing the wine

mother give to the church

take away my sons

of the streets and my lust

make them clean and pure

Our Lord and good

like a son to the Virgin

they were and are stealing

from the grocery store beating

the Negroes back

to their own side of town

these streets are theirs and so

was once America

these bowery boys the East Side

kids and dead

end kids are the devil’s

own  the teacher said the shop

keeper knew they were the poor

gone bad

the streets made them

what they shall be and are

bless them Holy Mother pray

for them as I light

a candle leave these

pennies for the poor

cross myself and kneel

for these boys my sons

my angels and their dirty faces

– Sam Cornish

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To have your work considered for the Lyrical send it to:
Doug Holder, 25 School St.; Somerville, MA 02143.
dougholder@post.harvard.edu