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Watching
On a corner a woman is laughing,
On another a man sits with his children
As they run and play around his feet.
I turn into a shop and see a man and
A woman, no ring, maybe girl friend.
She wears a fake smile like loose clothing.
Obviously not comfortable, but bought anyway.
He is happy, maybe she is too.
I leave.
An old couple sit talking. Watching others.
They laugh and I cannot hear what it is they say.
As I walk, I notice a quick movement
And see two women fighting,
Not physically, but ones hands are flailing.
I sit and watch. One leaves. A man takes her spot.
Words, exchanged, then left flat on the table.
Both leave, opposite directions.
A girl, maybe 17, maybe 18, sits alone.
Dressed in black midnight. She glances around
I make eye contact, to see what happens.
She doesn’t smile so I do.
She looks around one more time, then smiles back.
I continue walking. Then sit.
A man walks up in front of me. Sits.
He waits for awhile, then leaves. I stay.
The girl comes over to the bench where he was.
Looks frantic then sad. Sits. Sees me and smiles.
I nod to my left and she sees the man.
Walking with head down. I am already leaving.
She comes up to me, smiles again, not sad anymore.
I hear her call for him,
Voice bouncing off the mall walls.
Trevor. Nice name. Her voice carries in my head.
I want to leave, too crowded.
I wait for ten more minutes.
I stop into a book store, and she is there again.
I reach for Faust, she for Lovecraft.
Excellent choice, I ring up and she leaves with Trevor.
I hear laughter of the old couple again.
Nice to hear that. Happiness, expressed in sound.
I laugh, just to do so. I like the way it sounds.
Just a bit artificial though.
I’ll practice. Funny the way people act,
When being watched. Funny how much a
Simple smile can do for a person.
