SPANISH HARLEM

110th and Manhattan Ave, NY NY
I was subletting
From and English teacher friend of Laura's
It was the projects
Front door was broken and unlocked
Empty 40's sat on the stairway up the 4 floors to my room
Where the bed was on the floor
But it was my place
for that short time
while I tried to secure a job in theater
It's what I could afford
Barely
Actually I couldn't afford it but it's what I got
I was out of place
A young man from Lynnwood, WA
In Spanish Harlem
By myself
wasn't really sure how it was going to work out
Let's just say it was out of the realm of my comfort

Once early on living there I came home LATE at night
Might have been after 2am
There were a throng of young Latino men in the street
In front of the building
With baseball bats
Eyeing me as I approached
Puerto Rican
or Dominican
I don't know for sure
But they were intimidating
White baggy T-shirts
Playing street ball
at 2am
Under the sodium lights
I'm the odd-ball
In their neighborhood
approaching their home
But it's where I live too
At least for that month
The game stops
I take a deep breath as I approach
Try to steel my nerves
and enter the open door
Pass the 40's and go back to my room
After a week goes by
They recognize me
and give me a wave when I come home
To their home
Never gave me trouble once
In fact
After a few weeks
I felt protected
By those guys with bats
Outside their building