CVS, after the movie, and after that
someone robbed the drug store tonight while i was shopping for tissues.
the young pharmacist ran frantic with his lips dry and open,
leaped behind the counter and
phoned the police, breathless. the rest of us
moved in very slow motion as if we were
in water or someone else’s dream.
it’s the new pollen season: love and
love’s endings are in the air, making us sneeze.
i think about
my future, your future, your decisions,
all the nights this city has clouded us from
silver stars and a black expanse.
i’m talking about you, friend, and you, man, even the robber
sprinting through the back streets of Brookline like it’s
the most important thing he’s ever done.