The Statue of Saint Francis

They were putting up the statue
of Saint Francis
in front of the church
of Saint Francis
in the city of San Francisco
in a little side street
just off the Avenue
where no birds sang
and the sun was coming up on time
in its usual fashion
and just beginning to shine
on the statue of Saint Francis
where no birds sang
And a lot of old Italians
were standing all around...

Over Columbus Avenue, in the store, I show Steph a book, up in the poetry room, and the brimmed-hat white-bearded poet himself, shiny eyes, grin, and earring, emerges from the office door to the left. “Oh, hi, I was just showing her…and we were just in one of the…” nervous talk of icon shops and Saint Francis statues.
“You know, that statue is no longer there?”
And soon Steph and I are gone, down the street, with the cool wind blowing across our faces.