Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Mustafa/more enter -- two more from Starbucks

 

Mustafa, my one-time neighbor

tall, thin, acutely handsome

I used to apologize to him

for screaming in my apartment

 

I ran into him and his wife

one Thanksgiving at Starbucks

greeted them, both nurses, I think

she, wearing hijab, silent but smiling

he nodding, a little hesitantly

to this fat little man

alone on an American holiday

who yells at God

 

--

 

yellow leaves, cigarette butts

on the inside edge of the flower beds

a tree, chockful of bitter red berries

four dirty, beige columns, 

                       holding up the patio roof

a line of dead mosquitos stuck to/ climbing

                                each pillar

Starbucks Rocky River

a single bee in early evening

perusing the flowers

 

anonymous alcoholics, high school kids

troupe through this outdoor stage

Eastern European buddies

friends sitting to chat

at this sober, pale tavern 

this three-story corporate behemoth

where more people enter

than arrive

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