Past the fountain out of repair
And the boarded diner
A small studio
You’ d never told anyone about
Where old clothes have remained
Right where you’ ve dumped them
Side by side
With random notes and sketches
When someone close to you
Has a different idea of what you represent
He insisted
You’ ll write a check for the loan
There were other misjudgments
As well. Exits were being blocked
Down every hall I walked
Until a sort of muscle memory —
Well, I knew it all along, of course,
But thought it was in the future,
It rested like a memory —
This desire
For a place respecting anonymity
Oiling your.38 Special,
Like a criminal readying for benefits
A bottle of Jack Daniels —
This and more
Shaded by echoing buildings
With a glance toward the harbor
The water rough with small debris
Today