I’m making myself look busy
for the window-gazers who
are jealous I have a table outside
perhaps they hold
no such thought and I am presumptuous

sometimes I imagine
living in the city parts of Bloomington-
Normal above the shops downtown
regretfully I always live in the suburbs
of a college town (a kind of metropolis)
not as I need though

It must have something to do with
age, seems to dictate interests
passions for puzzles vs. adventure
chance, decisions relating to
the Big Picture and discussion following it
with questions like

Why and Huh

Probably, I only want the people
inside to envy me
outside
my outside,
Christ I’m hot, I thought
the sun beaming off my notebook
the white pages I corrupt
and the heat absorbing into the
charcoal table

It’s 3pm
I didn’t realize Bloomington has time bells
time bells are probably the only
unchallenged religious construction that survives
someone will protest
philosophy and corruption
but love that clock tower
tolls for thee
and all the yous
it has antiquity and character

anyway in the suburbs a church would be razed
free thinkers would condemn it to hell
but not the clocktower
what if their cell phones all died?

somehow people are more real
around aged concrete
business gets done there, certainly
but moods are calmer—the buzz is gone—
it could of course be related to sunshine
which seems to make everybody smile

suburban kids migrate to the city
for its mystique—they’re big, things to do
art movies films shows hamburgers
trees that look lost curbside gardens
concrete asphault record stores
trains planes curbs motorcycles…….segues
jeanskackiesshirtshaircutsJimmyJohnsbicyclessidewalksMcDonaldsSubway—
what suburban visitors want for a visit
make it big
the kids will stay for a while and
retreat back in a Metra train and pass out
after they get through Robbins

but I dirgress (HUH?)

it’s a beautiful daytime that will cool
into a comfortable nighttime and I think
I will buy another coffee

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