Weight Bearing

Manhattan has sunk a handspan
Into the underlying stone
Since when you first set foot on it.

Meanwhile sea levels have risen,
But none of this comes close to those
Changes on the island’s surface

In that same span. Since Lenape
Were swindled by the colonists
And displaced by force, Manhattan

Has sunk a depth equivalent
To the height of a Knicks center,
Not much compared to the stories

Of concrete stair-stepping on top.
Then again, the sinking won’t stop.