i hear something that sounds like sails
flapping in the wind above the streets of Minneapolis
new lifestyle shells to slip into
slip slip slip
advertising banners and construction site warnings zip tied to chain link
torn and unstapled tyvek skin over densglass sheathing
flap flap flap
thin set thin set thin set
brick veneer
2 x 4 wood sticks
concrete decks
husks and panels
the scabs on carpenters’ hands
the drops of sweat that fell on subfloors
the salt you never taste
$1750 a month
for a top floor 1 bedroom
that looks across girard avenue to the roof deck of a bar
50 feet away
the roof deck i stood on 3 years ago
surrounded by my fellow young americans
i was there out of curiosity, quiet and approachable, drinking a beer
and i remember being asked “what do you do?” again and again
what is the square footage of my income
the composition of my counter tops
“what do you do?”, urban lifestyle shell
what do you do
heat flow 