twins
hungover on 3rd avenue
just standing there
when he gets right up in my face
he points to my goatee
and then his own
do you, do you think i could get my goatee
that long one day?
i’d once watched him eat an entire hero sandwich
off of his barrel chest on the B4 bus
anything is possible, i tell him
look, look, he says, excitedly
we both got salt and pepper in our hair
yes, we’re both old
we’re like twins
almost, i say
i check my watch
wonder what is taking my wife so long
in the goddamned bagel store
i’m forty-four, he tells me
forty-four and wearing american flag suspenders
i’m forty, i answer
because…why in the fuck not?
ah, we’re both generation x
still stuck in the melancholy
and infinite sadness, i tell him
we had the best music, he says
the beatles, the stones, the who
the doors, the monkees, and the dead
that was our parents music, i say
we had cobain, 2pac, and a bunch of other crap
he frowns
i keep thinking of that sandwich on his chest
the way he picked away at the lettuce
and mayonnaise covered meat
until he had nothing but stains left on his t-shirt
it was the closest i’d ever seen
to anyone being truly free in public
the beatles were our music, too, he says
if you say so, pal, i answer
twins, he says one more time
then he waddles on down the block
to the music of a couple of teenagers
pointing and laughing behind his back
and it’s really just one more thing in this world
that he and i have in common.
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