Dis be my spot. I don care nothin bout what folks think bout me being a honky, yes a pore ole honkytonk shoppinbag lady cause I bin all ober dis town or de mos of it dat matter an I knows what I knows an seen what I seen an caint nobody take dat way from ya- ya-ya.

          So dis be my spot now. Oppsit de merechandisemens an on down de line far nuff from de welfare gang of dem mens agittin dey handout dey dues, like, an crowdin a body like dey do, mens mosly.

          Like it be de mens dat mosly cause all de stink in dis here town or de mos ob it—peein in all de subways an coroners ob de buildins an all ober de damn place a-peein all de time. If'n it wasn't so easy for em an so much fun like it ain't for us—we don be peein an pissin an pukin all obeer de damn city tho I seen some was near as bad as de men alettin de pee run down she laid into a empty beer bottle off dey big toe—ya-ya-ya never seen it in Pigsburra my home is Pigsburra but ain't nobody gone pee on my spot an don know when I see it agin but I seen a lot I seen so much.

          Like when her come a-steppin long on dem long long laigs an dodgin in an out dem wimmens an chillun an merchandisemens on dey stools an joyboys a-flyin high an wide up an down Four-teenstreet an so dey seen her long an tall on dem higharch highheel twotone tan tie shoos an long yellared hair a-flyin an yes a-mindin she own biznis, like, an sorta smilin like her jes step outa Saks Fif Av'noo—I had me a spot up dere too long time back, like firs ya- ya-ya be rich an den pore, firs yong an den git ole but it don matter nohow is one thing I learn cause we all be Gods chillun we all be de same soul so I don much matter nohow which is what I be thinkin when long she come up pass my spot an my tree or pole—I calls it a tree—an deys de Fishman an de Shoosman an de Winduptoys-man an dey be up on dey stools overlookin it all, like, an den deys de Perfumeman he be walkin roun up an down an a-weavin in front of perspective custermers, like, an dey all a- tryin to git evrybody an anybody to buy whatever dey got cept'n me—I watch.

          So dere she come a-striding an even maybe a-signifyin to she self thinking bout being roun she boyfren soon or somthin like it an not looin at all at de Fishman or de Perfumeman or Toys-man nor nobody nohow an nex dese two spaceout spades dey off in dey own worl, like, but also a-lookin for de shoulder to nudge or de pocket to pick or de purse to grab—somethin—so dere dey comes an her jes a-striding long straight ahaid as possible wigglin she nose, like at de smells but not lookin roun at nobody an dey two spade be a-moseyin long aimin to brush up gainst she tan suede jackeet, like, an maybe cop a feel if'n her don look em in de eye quick, like, an keep em off keep em outa reach an de Perfumeman he jes sure he got what she want only he ain't not at a meeazly dollar an a quarter a ounce—I knows.

          So den I had to fix my blanket roun ober my feets which be all swole up now an den afore ya-ya-ya can say smack she slip in dem fancy highheel twotone tan tie shoos an be down an dey all be on her like houndogs and she start to yell cause dey ain't helpin her up nohow an one he grab she hair an yank off a gold neckchain an another he snatch she purse an another he pull dat tan suede jacket off an den git push down an another one he git it an run an afore den some woman an chile come up and her grabs off de two shoos an one motha he put his foot on her throat when her screams an he stop on she hand wif de other foot an grab off de watch an a ring an den another he start a-stompin an dey stomp on she face an both hand an de merchandisemens is only like halfways off dey stool not a-wantin to leave anything to git stole an besides who'd think dey be doing all dat so sudden right dere wif all dem cars an peoples an all a-passin so close so by de time de po-lice rives her jes a-lyin dere like a skinned animal all graceful like stretch out dere but bloody an a-startin to twitch an wimmens an chillun a-makin a circle roun behind de merchandisemens who be shakin dey haids pityful, like, but not carin too much neither cause she wasn't bout to buy nothin nohow, but dey sayin What. A. Shame. on count she bein so pritty an dem dogs dem houndogs already run off wif whats worth much of anything anyhows. Piss on em.

          Like I say its de mans dat mess up de city dey ain't no room for a creature like dishere gal to be a-roamin roun in on she own like some highstepping sheeit. She want to stay wif she own kind an not go venturin out where her be hunted down but it don matter no mo now cause she be one of us. Her jes have to find she own spot now.