Nothing to Fear
By R W

Woke to a flat foot kicking at my knee
-
"come-on, move it up the street or get to the shelter!"
I stretched, emerging from my mound of newsprint surrounding me
I stood, checking my pockets for a partial cigarette butt
-
I saw her looking then, I glanced away making for the back
of a nearby Ionic column
if ya been there, ya know the worse part is the disdain
the disgust in most faces just as I stand in my old Navy coat
and the rest from the shelter
-
I found a soft pack in my pocket and a mini-bic, cigarette still intact
I saw the shadow before I heard the footstep:
someone small standing behind me at close distance
I turned quickly, she jumped
-
-
I felt bad, felt like I looked, and smelled bad
-
still she stood there......"C--C-Corey?" her pretty Asian squeak
of a voice intoned.....
it took me another millisecond to recognize Naoko Fushimi,
It had been so long since I had talked to someone who looked in my eyes
instead of down the road to some far off destination
-
I was a roach....
-
she sat down beside me, and cried....
-
"what.....happened?" her voice belying tears, her eyes seeking
the perpetual motion of my own.
-
-
"I finally got what I always wanted, Naoko,... nothing to fear"
she reached inside her coat going for a purse or something.
Last I heard she had moved on from the physics I taught to
String theory research.
I wasn't surprised, she'd always been a star
I waved and sheepishly half tried to smile as I began walking with intent,
away from the Library.
-
-
As I heard her sobs increase behind me, and the memories
of our nights of lovemaking,
I limped my way out of the shadows and down a trash-can filled alley.

Nothing to fear.........
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