For Rent

a woman 

in a bright purple coat who looks 70

brushes the snow off her mother's coat who looks 90 

and has tennis balls on the bottom 

of her walker

a woman 

with posture

steeled against the cold 

hot pink lips and heavy looking boots 

scarf wrapped three times 

a gloved hand 

over a smart looking cane

despite the ad 

on the side of the bus shelter for it 

none of us have Palm Pilots  

to stare at

"Bustracker" software

to track down the number 36 

i remember my camera 

which makes me forget 

the cold 

i dig it out of my purse

take a picture

of the theater i'd been staring at, 

its 'for rent' sign 

available in summer of 2006 

 

it's winter 2009 

& i take another picture

of the golumb or the jester's face

and i'm thinking of how it looks 

like a crucifix

if i frame it just so 

and the woman with the cane is smiling

and there's a lot of lipstick on her teeth

and puffs of air coming out of her mouth

"Don't get too comfortable," she says.  "It's here."