At 34

I left home at seventeen

carrying forty dollars

and the attitude of a mule,

without an identity but

surely some i.d.

new york city crackled

- fires of the mind,

spirits at the speed of light,

heckling chorus chanting

who are you?

what do you do?

unable to answer

I whipped up a character

which later became a career,

careened around the globe

nonstop like a fearless pirate -

well, perhaps

a scared chicken on dope

until I turned 34-when

I got my first 24 hours.