Our bus was detoured for about
a block or so, causing two elderly
women to walk down the street
to catch the bus. They ambled---
and it took them four minutes but
they were going at top speeds.
It was the most excitement they'd
seen in weeks. They talked very
loudly to one another, recounting
the awesome tale of walking fast.
The event reminded them of the
time the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor.
They walked fast back then. But it
would have taken them less than
four minutes to reach a bus down
street. They talked loudly back
then too.

Where From Do They All Come?

The Chinese tourists, who are really students,
huddle together and read the city's map.
The woman in the next kiosk has a distinct
African-ish quality that warrants a
thunderous speech.
The man with a push cart is coughing up his
last dream and last lung filled to the gills with disease.
We all choke on the same burning diesel fuel
when running after an early departure.

Childhood

Four dark girls with pencil thin legs
and neon shorts followed their mother
like ducklings to one bus from another
One was sucking her thumb
One was sucking back an Orange Crush
One was licking an ice cream
that dripped down her closed fist
The last was licking, enthusiastically, a red sucker
She'd never get to the stick, though
Not even with her verve
They weren't a loud bunch
nor did they act out like
some other bunches might
They just followed
with their oral fixators
in their neon colored outfits
on their small dusty-handed-down jellies
beneath their brown pencil thin legs.