in hamburg

an irish man showed me how to do it.
he grabbed the empty beer bottle from my hand
and smashed it on the ground.
That's what they do in Hamburg.
not a toss
but a violent, mighty downward sling.
i shatter the next bottle in a gutter
and it explodes into a trillion green shards.
i feel strong and free
and the more i smash the better i feel.
i smash a bottle at the feet of an old man in drag
and again in front of a skin head in leather and studs.
i smash bottles at hookers with crooked eyes
and stained faux fur.
i walk by apartments with closed venetian blinds
and can't help but wonder who is or has been inside
so i smash a bottle for them too.
i'm amazed at the chaos of wild-eyed drivers
honking and swerving and they're so good i wonder
if they have jobs or if they just do this all day.
i'm not finished with my bottle
but i smash it for them anyway.
it takes a lot of broken glass
but eventually i forget about the smell of piss
and sweaty vendors and
i finally see the beauty of hamburg
as the glass crunches under my feet.