An Ether

Past the fountain out of repair

And the boarded diner

A small studio

You’d never told anyone about

Where old clothes have remained

Right where you’ve dumped them

Side by side

With random notes and sketches

When someone close to you

Has a different idea of what you represent

He insisted

You’ll write a check for the loan

There were other misjudgments

As well. Exits were being blocked

Down every hall I walked

Until a sort of muscle memory—

Well, I knew it all along, of course,

But thought it was in the future,

It rested like a memory—

This desire

For a place respecting anonymity

Oiling your .38 Special,

Like a criminal readying for benefits

A bottle of Jack Daniels—

This and more

Shaded by echoing buildings

With a glance toward the harbor

The water rough with small debris

Today