poem of the day 10.05.11

saturday morning is for tough guys

i stand in a long line
at the bagel shop
listening as the construction workers on 86th
talk about a girl who just walked by
in a short skirt and heels
they talk about how much they’d like to fuck her
all of the things they’d do to that ass
but then the conversation turns to young girls
and what if the chick in the skirt and heels
was one of their daughters
to which the men start talking about how
their girls would never dress like that
how they’d beat the shit out of them
out of any guy who looked at their daughter
the way that they’d just looked
at the girl who sauntered down the street
one of the guys
said that he’d threaten any potential suitor with a shotgun
anyway
after enough of this i finally get my bagel
a sesame with loads of butter
i eat it as i walk down bay parkway
toward the shopping plaza
where i need to buy new shoes
and gifts for my niece
in the parking lot
two cars almost slam into one another
the men in both cars stop and start shouting
all kinds of inventive invective
they tell each other all of the things they’d do
if they got out of their car
this goes on for almost five minutes
one tough guy threatening another tough guy
on a saturday morning at the shopping plaza
and then just like that
with one last fuck you
both of the men speed off toward
ruining someone else’s day
as i stand there for just a moment longer
in the quiet and peace
fist clenched, red-blooded american male
wondering if i should purchase
the brown boots or the black.