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Stirring

Stirring

waist deep in dirt

neon vested

they shovel

holes

along a busy street

where the police

enforce the speed

at 30 mph

and on another street

there’s a guy

cowboy hat

on his head

cigarette

hanging outta his crook

waiting for his ride

or his bride

or something

and the billboard sign

depicts a fake fiesta

people not as they are

but as they wish they were

and a granny

in her zip-up robe

pushes her can

down the drive

and a guy

in a T-shirt and jeans

hauls lumber

on his shoulder

and a woman

with her bag

is headed to market

on foot

and the “Arbor Day” banner

is bouncing

off the wind

and the girl

at the desk

is wasting

her smile

on me

should be

gracing a magazine

and the specials of the day

are taking way

before the hungry herd

descends

and for a few

morning moments

before

they assume

their 8-hour position

they’re free

encapsulated in their cars

surging from a song

a wake-up cup

a cellular itinerary

FM news

or scattered thoughts

and the sun

is headed straight up

Central Standard Time

TL

Published inTamiko Lowery