Up,
Pedaling through
Como Avenue.
Alongside shared-living apartments
Neon-signs cluttered storefronts.
Following is
the
summer sun,
heat,
and sweat.
7 years ago I was more acquainted
There was so much to forget.
There was sun and snow,
Heartbreak and elation,
Sex and lies, good times;
Things called by other names, situations.
Past trees which grew
Broken glass from bottles drunks threw
Stand lampposts which haven’t moved
These quiet streets, home for rocks, sand, and dust- below shoes.
Maneuvering, wondering if the old neighbors were still alive.
Winter stuck in a basement
Bright light outside
Warm only within
-Hiding eyes behind dingy broken blinds.
Father stopped in around Christmastime
I was with a she who left like the wind.
Found in moments betting on the weather.
Two doves,
A cat,
Empty bottles,
Trash amassed; pieces of me mixed between.
Now I ride by this old familiar place.
Remembering,
Biking,
Thinking,
How did this town get so small?
How did I get so big?
***
She once said: biking is the best way to learn the city; Minneapolis is the biggest small town around.
