Читать книгу Happy, Okay? - M.J. Fievre - Страница 9

Shadow

The faces around you

are unfamiliar, but

the longer you stare,

the less they are

strangers—

your brown eyes / brown

skin in other bodies,

walking the same

streets you’ve walked since

your feet learned

to hold your body upright.

The shoeshine men set up

a high chair & a table

in front of a café,

which smells of

sweet rolls &

beef patties behind

its closed

doors. They play

dominoes,

their faces frowning,

but a smile

only inches away.

Hands slap

knees when laughter

erupts—volcanic,

stretching

their cheeks under

straw hats.

This new Miami day

is buoyant

like yeasty Cuban bread.

But you’ve forgotten

the rich, full-throated

sound of your own

laughter.

You’ve buried it so deep

it resides in your

empty belly

and cannot escape

beyond your throat.