POEM: Saturday afternoon at the bookstore

Saturday afternoon at the bookstore

picture this place
as the shimmering sight
of water after a long trip
across the burning desert
glistening with welcome

:

it’s sunny as fuck
Everything But The Girl
is spinning on the dusty turntable
shuffle shuffle
shuffle shuffle

there’s a little curly-haired kid
wandering the store
speaking that gibberish
toddlers mean. so. much.
but nobody understands

some folks are dressed for summer
fooled by the light
most are dressed for winter
shell-shocked by the coldest
February and March on record

a very elderly man plays chess
against a teenage boy
it’s not clear who’s winning
or whether winning
is even the point

new record: XTC
Andy’s respectable street
now two little girls
chase each other, screaming
running behind the counter

/ / /

Jason Crane
4 April 2015
State College, PA