A Stroll Through City Market
I took a stroll through City Market
Kansas City's cultural queen, with vegetables and flowers
Concrete words leaning against their water buckets.
Old women's hair unnatural colors shining from restaurants
Enough of that, inertia at work here, Kansas City's pride
Cracks on sidewalk, ugly giant tracks for new street car novelty
Yelling from hooded youth, anger or attention?
Street car on track for once. Making noise, people lying in windows.
Woman with dog hurries it past me, suspecting me of something
I clutch my purse harder, suspecting her too
Freezing cold was two days ago.. Today is forty-one,
Sixty-three degree shift if you count the windchill and who does not?
The midwest USA, of course, south of Canada a few thousand miles.
A little boy gives me a hopeful glance.
If I say "hi" first will I be the pervert?
I see he wants to also, but dares not.
He has been warned against me at three. So sad really.
My friends are late. Thank God. Ensuring writing time,
And time to watch people's silliness and haughtiness.
I am a voyeur, taking tiny gulps and glimpses
So they will think I am not dangerous.
What if I run and snatch up that boy
To show him that all strangers are not horrible?
To teach him that strangers are friends you do not know yet?
To teach him that the world is not all cynical?
What then?
Copyright © Caren Krutsinger | Year Posted 2019
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