Riding through the streets looking out the windows
at the dark, concrete sidewalks scattered with pedestrians
some walking to work some to buy some just to walk other to nowhere
Clothes: a few formal
mainly casual litter the bodies outside
even speckles of hobo wear finds its way through
Trash bags are thrown outside stores without cans to hold them
just through town projects loom large inside the security gates guarding them
up the street is the shelter and the halfway house
they're right around the corner from the day labor parking lot
Everything seems so familiar maybe because it is
Everything belongs even the car rolling beneath my feet
I do too and I know it
this is home or should be this is my identity amidst the similar but it's not
inside the car no one sees as my body leans toward the space between the seats and crunches into itself
This is the familiar
once out on the sidewalks with my own sneakers I can hide behind my big carhartt winter jacket
hoping I'm invisible but not see through
hoping it all fools them
that they don't know me
impatience overturns me the wait is agony
I can't stand being outside in the open where everybody notices
the door opens and closes hurriedly and the car pulls out
I despise this place I hate coming here
driving through these streets walking on these sidewalks
seeing the silhouette my shadow casts upon the brick storefronts
I wish it never had to be wish I never had to be here
if it was home it would be better
but it isn't--
just a mockery of what should be
what is and I can't stand it.
