the lady behind the
counter at the corner
store told her it was
rude to eat bananas
in public.
stacked checks
and cigarettes
like dominos—learning to
taste the same,
learning
to play the game.
why wasn’t it rude to
eat cherries in public?
the homeless boy
by the street lamp told her
she would look better
if she wore less
make up.
out of tea bags, she hummed
through a mouth full of warm
water and remembered
she wasn’t wearing makeup
actually.
the tall man with the
suit and the shoes that shined
in the stop light
asked her how much
for the night.
she didn’t understand
his question and asked
him for a cigarette.
he smiled with
his eyebrows as
she dropped the banana peel
lit up
turned away
with implied thanks.
