Of a Future Son

…like the neighborhood  

of the church      and school

of his childhood    

 the buildings are mostly brown

there are vacant lots   

with abandoned orchards

and large expanses of asphalt

mostly empty

Pahn has gone inside a big-box store

 not knowing what they sell

 forgetting

why he has come 

He walks to the back      dimly lit

through tall racks     widely spaced

of earthy dresses

The back half of the store

 is empty…

 …Near the front of the store                                          

 around a corner   from the entrance                              

he sees a small       but ample

milk chocolate

young woman      wearing black

   lying                                                                         

scrunched                                                                     

and expectant                                                  

in the dressing room                                     

and almost as if he has already seduced her

he comes in to her                                              

and lies beside her                                                  

pulling apart             her legs

but in his mind

he hears himself

telling his future son            how

he was conceived        in

the dressing room        of

a department store

and so

Pahn leaves on his pants                                   
                                       

lifting the young woman instead

 thinking to find a better venue

 then fades

into dissipation

 filtering                                

 through          the garments                                 

 into

 the ether

before

he even brings her

from the room