across town there’s a shopping center in crumbles
no longer in fashion, they’re not wearing it anymore
bricks and mortar stores ain’t no more
once a wee lad hanging out at sears
in the televisions section
watching oj simpson — running back buffalo bills
on a windy snow swept field somewhere in the northeast
running for daylight
at war memorial—shea—three rivers///don’t remember
on a sunday afternoon in december
black and white television the latest model
standing up eating hot dogs at montgomery wards
pound of freshly roasted cashews to eat later at home
years later bought a leather jacket there once
no doubt increasing my cool factor
italian beefs, fries, and coffees at the Den
cute young brunette waitress
record store/head shop I wanted to work at
the zep and dead albums
bookstore once a college class escape
an angel island from the alcatraz of college work
all gone, gone with the wind
gone like g-o-n-e, gone goodbye
a community village now vacant
now full of village idiots
weedy parking lots
now full of the seedy and the shady
