north avenue

i remember thinking of avenue as a fashionable word
until i heard about north avenue or north ave
as they said nodding their heads knowingly
yeah everyone knows about north ave
the bermuda triangle of baltimore
the street that swallows and spits you out
if you're lucky

then i remember seeing a series of photographs
children playing and dancing in the street
a generous fire hydrant fighting the sun
the artist called it the north ave series

and i remember thinking
"wow, he got out"