Fifth Avenue Nocturne (1895): Childe Hassam

i met a grey and we spoke briefly in the rain
it assured me that it was nothing like those fictional characters
that still buzzed in the minds of the “most intelligent species”
that it saw before it
tripping up & falling
blathering and scapegoating
all over this planet
it saw these
forty-four and two’s
to still be searching for that great big dragon that could be
slayed
by the courageous prince
sword in hand
who then, after saving all the people in the kingdom
(not to mention the sexy princess which was the only thing that propelled him in the first place)
would take his rightful place on the throne
as the
divine
king
of
all

the grey assured me that there was more intelligent life elsewhere
and i breathed a sigh of relief
i did mention to him in the same breath however that
“i don’t believe in you either”
and it nodded with a sweet understanding
as if to tell me in its own way
that it too
would not believe a single solitary thing
without solid
die hard
proof
which could never be shaken

as the rain continued to beat down upon us
it turned and walked back towards the dark early night noir
i waited
watching it walk until it was out of sight

then i opened my backpack and started to look for my umbrella