Dahlia

unshaken she stands
backed against the wall
where spectators taunt
if only in her thoughts
while train whistles blow
and ticket holders race
to catch their transport
leaving…leaving

wavering not
this disorderly blossom
of childlike demeanor
with grown-up distortions
scamp tramped
on the wrong side of town
thoughts like weeds
choking her sensibilities

yet petals line the path
where Dahlia walks
complete in her madness
unique in her deportment
dreams of a lover
down the tracks
on the wrong side of town
in the garden of her mind