Downtown, East St Louis, Missouri

The honey locust atop the high rise downtown
Slips its roots through the roof into the empty
Office and immediately begins the slow
Baby steps towards starvation. When the rains come,
And they always do, it opens its heart.
Nothing anymore is forever. A page in a book
Mentions a name long forgiven and a word
No longer has the meaning of slang or anger.
The tree lets go of its leaves, seeks weight,
And one day falls onto the floor, each branch
Seeking the limited light of the broken roof.
Long afterwards, its memory enough.