I watch the pigeons and wait
I watch the pigeons twitch and twitter
and hop bird-necked and black-footed through the litter and the trash
making a meal of bread crumbs and bread crusts
I watch the pigeons and wait
and watch and wait and watch and wait

Across the street across from me
Sergio steps into traffic
and stops and waits
and watches
and waits
as a string of small, badly coloured cars
parades in front of, and then behind him
He is surrounded in traffic and unafraid
I am impressed
he takes two steps backward
('to prepare' I think)
then one two three four five six
seven slow steps later he is across the black asphalt
and safely on the other side

Jesse arrives, loud and late
the pigeons disappear in fluff and flutter that is all surprise and clumsy wings
before I know it I too am gone from the cold steps
and swept up in the river that issues from her mouth
we walk, we talk, she leaves, and I stay
and alone on the bus I watch and wait and watch and wait
and the world goes tumbling by

AcB 05.04.01