car dealership haibun
Three men in white shirts are moving back and forth in front of the tall windows. The sun is streaming into the waiting room but they’re not concerned about the weather. They’re looking out into the lot, straining to see a head of hair or a hat bobbing between any two cars. The telltale signs of a customer. You’d think the lot would be packed on this gorgeous fall day, but those who can find a job are at work and the rest can’t afford a car. The tiny trees wave in a lackluster breeze, headstones placed in memory of what once must have been a forest. The men in white shirts keep watch.
waiting room man
eats crackers in monk’s hat
sun warming his neck
*
old man stares raptly
at television hunting program
waits to hear his name
*
magazine on her lap
she looks at me when I speak
but doesn’t respond
15 October 2013
State College, PA