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Second Place
Winner: Daniela Elza
talking shop
the top shop offers lots of fancy funky flimsy tops
and some bottoms (though they do not
advertise that). under their window a beggar
(his house in a shopping cart) rocks back and forth
singing a low pitched mantra that either curses
or praises the passers-by. I sit
across
in the coffee shop. with a book. my mind
in conversation with Wang Wei. this Pain not Bread
introduction to an introduction of a self
referential poem. I look up at the homeless Buddah
watching the street going by negotiating
the afternoon sun. the traffic negotiating the
afternoon. it is the first day of
autumn
and syntax hangs loose on the trees.
he rocks. I write. bread in the bag
next to me. a baguette. bag-it.
be-get.
the fine line we walk. the breaking
of bread. breaking of pain
pieces we share. as a kid I bought
bread
only to return with half of it- for warm
bread
in a child's hands is a
celebration.
today I take the whole bread home to feed
on
the delight of little hands breaking
fresh crust with gap-toothed grins.
no one bought any tops for the two hours I was there
I gave the homeless person a dollar (he made
more in two hours than the top shop).
his gap-toothed grin- the sound
of fresh bread crust breaking.
Note: The Top Shop and the coffee shop do not
exist anymore due to the demolition of the Fairchild Mall for the RAV line
construction which started in 2006 and should be ready for the 2010 Winter
Olympics. The line, when finished is expected to move 100,000 passengers per
day.
Back to Feb 2007
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