WALK / DON’T WALK
Poised there at the curb, waiting for the light
To switch to WALK, it’s fight
Or flight, like suspects in a line-up. Fact:
There’s something in the act
Of queueing that brings out aggression.
Just look at them, their faces pinched, standing at attention.
One guy is grasping something in his hand—
A crumpled sack or rock. Please understand
How quickly things devolve
As masks fall off, and what's considered norms dissolve.
The tall kid who’s slumped down is me
In high school. Gee.
My father shouted, “Stand up straight,
Your shoulders back, chest out. Accept your fate.”
I have, I have. Does this kid’s slouch
Show how much time has passed? I vouch
To tell him what I know. To look the world back in the eye
No matter what. Remember how high
Giacommeti’s sculptures loom, all bone and skin:
Exclamation points stretched thin.
