An Afternoon Out Alone

An Afternoon Out Alone
by Christopher J. Bradley
8/9/00 10:46:16 PM
Today I spent an afternoon out
Drove my Saturn to the Cafe'
Through the beginning of a Thunderstorm
And waited in line for a restroom.
I ordered a Mocha
And sat down
Delighted to encounter an old friend
A Bag Maker who'd survived a heart attack.
He had been playing chess
With an African and maybe an Arabian
At the place I call the Spot
As many others do...
We talked in the ferocious rain
On the patio
Where he told me about his implant
And we discussed the merits of American Health.
I knew he needed transportation
So I gave him a quick ride back to Allen
And then circled around back to Elmwood Avenue
And drove all the way up the well lit strip to the theater.
I watched the Coyote Ugly
After being harassed by the nameless ticket seller
Who wasn't fond of the film
Which turned out to be a great deal better than I had expected.
I drove up Delaware on the way home
And cut over Sheridan to the Boulevard
To stop at my favorite bookstore
To buy a copy of this morning's Wall Street Journal.
Then with the fifty cents in my pocket
I decided to take the express way home
and make it an early night
So that I could write this poem.
While my father and brother watched Toy Story on Video Cassette.
And my sister kept me from the Internet for a minute long enough.
Category:Catalog