Ahnaheeta's City Streets

.

…at Ahnaheeta’s house
Pahn and his new friends
pose for a photo
...........................among
...........................the jumbled presents
leaning
...confused
..crowded
the Christmas tree ragged
..................................................................and thin above them…

…on a tour of the town
alone
but imagining Aiks
to see the buildings...................
the places where strangers live
the styles they live in................
and the architecture
of commerce
........................................sales
He is particularly fascinated by
.....a high glass room
appended....
.............to a square street house
brass lamps..
like furniture
..........settled at the bottom
of a terrarium
He wanders through walls
and wends among
white...........................
gypsum ........................
asbestos .......................
melanine ......................
counters and stalls ............
for selling cheap..... bright .
clean items ....................
costume jewelry ..............
clothes .........................
ice cream cones...............

older women with provincial
hair and short .................
round ...........................
loose fitting bodies ..........

Smiling casually ..............................................
as he makes his way out
......................................................to the street
talking to an interviewer ....he says........

“I worked there for fourteen years........................................
..........................................I’d better know how to do it by now”…

…Pahn ....suddenly
realizes
..............................he is late for French

He walks quickly uptown......
to a narrow stairwell
.....................................................in a tall building
.................where he stops to help someone
.................................................................he knows
............................................................................................with something
............and now he is even later for French

He turns on the landing...........
and considers his tardiness

“Oh well” he says
................................................................to Aiks in her absence
and descends
............................to the street…

…at Ahnaheeta’s house again
.............his new friends have left
and he was going...............
....................................................to meet them somewhere
but he tells Ahnaheeta
...........................that he has nearly given up
and he is glad......................
.......................when she says
.......................that she isn’t going either

She is cleaning up......................
.........................from the party
moving to and fro
talking to Pahn
....................................................without meeting his eyes

and he rakes ....absentmindedly
................a pile of coins off a table
......................thinking they may be his
and then..................
.....................puts some back
..................................thinking he has taken too much
and all the while.....................
wishing..........................................
...........to lie tired
.....................................beside her
.....................on the couch
.........................in her home

the way she talks to him
.....................................................looking away
.............the way she allows for his presence
he imagines................................
her small body
.........................................wrapped in his sleep.