I wandered from
behind the
counter becoming
something close
to naked and
I went into
the waiting
room and poured
myself a cup
of coffee from
the stained pot
and there were
clouds of sugar
and non-dairy
creamer and
a candidate
was on the TV
and the waiting
room was full
of middle-aged
men like so many
hypertense Buddhas
and they were
bitching about
the elections and
the economy
I couldn't keep
my mouth shut
I said
that democrats
and republicans
were basically
the same except
for differences
on social issues
like gay marriage
and abortion
and gay marriage
doesn't make your
pocket book any
better or any worse
and some of the
men agreed but
a quiet one in
the corner pot-bellied
with dirty glasses
and greasy hair
looked up from
his coffee and
I could feel
and smell
the rage in
his eyes.