A Real Zone Of Interest

By Hector Lopez Jaime

i can’t read Amis at the station today

she must have gotten up with the sun

ranting in her dreams, ranting in life

she stands, one knee resting on a short wall

she stares forward at nobody & rants at nothing

I pray to keep safe from

rapists, murderers, estafadores

keep in mind that they don’t believe in god

pendejo el guey, she’s a fucking

whore you are, see I’m not lying

he had cancer, killed my cousin

kid with down syndrome, what else

you’re over here, presumido

you’ll never be her, keep that in your

mother fucking mind

I’m sorry but no

she lists out numbers in a mix

of spanish & english

giving out addresses that no longer

exist

whenever somebody walks into her

peripheral

they get more than an earful of

the constant stream of madness

the people getting off the lightrail

are more of the same, a woman

skinny as rails, with her bike

looking at the floor as she tells me

just to get on if i’m going to get on

behind her a black man with an open shirt,

chest tattoos & a bike of his own

apologizes as i move between them

the transit police don’t check tickets

kicking empty cans under the seats

the bus driver vapes with the doors closed,

looking reluctant to pick me up

can’t say i blame him

it’s a day for the heat

By Hector Lopez Jaime