3rd and Market

hiding under the overhang, i debate
the distinction between plain old buildings and famous movie sets.

gozer headquarters masquerades as a federal courthouse.
like philly using new york's fake id.

a woman coughs and spits
next to the decay that used to be a suit store.

walls that once screamed with color are silenced by bank
advertisements shellacked across windows.

a lamp reminisces about
34 long and skinny shirts,
ties and fedoras,
jewel tones and feathers.

a line of ignored newspaper boxes guards the street corner,
my dog likes to pee on them.

the clanging of metal spatulas
dumps bacon musk into the air from a food cart.

the woman coughs again
and the sidewalk shakes the sound away.