Displaced

I journey
through a day
past people I should know
people who are important for their unimportance

a gringo
sitting in a laundromat
with a clickety white laptop
revising a lecture for a class on ethics

he knows a lot
but not about life
clickety-clackity-clunk
the one who doesn’t belong in this place

the TV
blares happy talk
who wants to be a millionaire?
a stupid question at 88 decibels

the mom
comes with her kids
racing past the wire wheeled baskets
exuding energy and optimism; life itself

grandma
comes along too
I think she should get some rest
but following this tribe must be more interesting

the friendly man
pleased with the lack of crowds
I want to hear more about his life
but to sound clinical is worse than being detached

mi amigo
works the tandoor next door
cheerfully turning out crunchy naan
with a straight middle finger, badly broken long ago

I should stay
but I need to get back
back to hurry, and work; back to my life
but first, I need to find a cash machine and wi-fi