Sightseeing
the year’s
almost out
men and women
still in the field
somewhere
or in their homes
grieving for the loss
of something or someone
or on the street
looking for food
for shelter
for somebody
to see ‘em
someday
or filing papers
and fighting over custody
and everything else
or removed from their house
and taken somewhere
else
or losing their minds
their memory
their name
or standing in line
at a store
bagging presents
without purpose
or sitting in traffic
with the music on
with the music off
or reading a book
turning blank pages
or clicking on the tube
watching re-runs
or in the hospital
in the bed
out of the bed
or in the classroom
in the desk
at the front
at the back
or in the cube
surfing the net
eye on 5
or in the factory
punching cards
in and out
shifting gears
year to year
or behind bars
chained to their shame
or in court
handing down a sentence
for life
or in a fast-food joint
trying to stay sane
at the window
or behind a counter
scanning cans
living for a break
or at the liquor store
brown bag lunch
or at the register
taking a carton down
stick relief
from what
or living with a diagnosis
cure
no cure
or trying to stay awake
in the rig
or sorting mail
picking up packages
putting them down
or at the switchboard
red light
green light
or in a dorm
and nothing matters
but passing
or in the park
sitting on a bench
with nothing to say
or grazing at the frig
trying to fill
some empty place
or sweating to the beat
trying to
stay young
or hooked on a feeling
meth, crack, weed
or wasting away
this
this very day
the year’s
almost out
TL