Spectrum Literary Arts Magazine: Spring 2012

Refuge Sought ON HARVARD AVE, NOVEMBER 13th, 2011 LAUREL SCHULTHEIS Empty frames on the walls and one in my purseUnnoticed, but encircled by bat-shaped orange lights, Leftovers from Halloween.

Movers moving out of open windows as Beastie boys play intergalactic, while Planetary glances from the boy in the corner catch my eye.

Seasonal spices obstruct my view and my back is sore from this load, Carried from the Oak’s square roots en route to All’s town, In the sunshine before the rain.

Along the way down Washington’s path, I snagged some citrus, which is now yellow sticky on my ingers.

Pointedly, the man in plaid is gone.

“Please [placidly] place dirty plates in the bus’s bin” (thanks <3 you) Sincerely, “Skim Milk, Milk, and Half & Half.”

(Plus a little soy [sorry!] for the extra coffee’s dirty dishes, dirty dishes, dirty dishes!)

Sunlight pours in with the gusty wind, winding voices and songs and ex-marine Boyfriends around the store. “There’s a dog in here!”

Refuge is sought by those who have nothing left to do but seek, who aren’t hiding Anymore, who may just like a Palestinian-Israeli-Con lict-Muf in And a Freakin’ Cup o’ Joe (or a Mug of Martha).

Inigo Montoya’s lead look-a-like loads his iced beverage with sweet, sweet, sweeteners, And waits for his Freakin’ wrap.

[Beasties wrap too, just in the sound waves and without vegetables] There’s a new dude in the corner, same lap top, maybe less of a dunce this time, And more of a do-er? We’ll see. Apparently he’s a medium cappuchino kind of guy.

So much for my chai, It’s time to ly. BAI!