Dear Mr. Fire-Hydrant,

Blow your top, show me you love me
Dirty-sidewalk-talk me
You come from the streets
I come from wherever I was before this page
Together we make hard edges melt
like cheese-steaks in mouths

I like children and puppies, but I'll never have them
I have a cactus
Looking at you reminds me to water it
See how helpful you are Mr. Fire-Hydrant
Let me knit you a night cap - you silly fire-hydrant

The street tears away from the earth at night
Points up to the sky
(gravitational pull from the moon)
Our life-sized playground
You hang on by the...

Dear Mr. Fire-Hydrant,

a telephone booth
without receiver
mocks our conversation

shallow glass encasement
dresses solitude
in clear/blue costume

the Emperor
should not have gone out
in public



Dear Mr. Fire-Hydrant*,

You are solid
and steady,
tilting there on your side,
cozy under the covers.

If you were mine,
I'd feed you gravy
right out of
the boat.

Dribbling down
your upper dome
let's wipe it up
with a napkin.

*written by: Mary K. Guiden
(winner of the audience
participation award)

Dear Mr. Fire-Hydrant,

Is there a miniature you
I could put in my pocket
take on the plane, no extra fare

Is there a finger puppet you
I could wear to the parties
hold my love, tiny in my hand

Is there a puzzle you
I could piece together slowly
dose of you, every other day

Is there an edible you
chewy and sweet
don't know what I got, 'till it's gone

Dear Mr. Fire-Hydrant,

Your body language
is really far away
from my
body
language

don't fear me now,
the ruins are ruined,
the song, sung

go on now
catch that train if you're gonna
better I pack your bags with you
than you run off
with some second-hand,
french-inhaled,
smoke screen dreams