Cards

2 kids on the
sidewalk, the
bigger one says
“hey! You want to buy
some flowers?”
“Flowers?” I say.
“No! Cards. Football and
Baseball cards.”
The smaller guy carries
a plastic box full
I tell them I used
to have stacks, but
like a fool, threw them
out—
they are not interested in what
I used to do
the bigger says
“you want to buy one or
not?”
I suggest they take the
cards to the GAME Store
the smaller guy says
“the pawn shop.”
Cars line up at the
crosswalk as
we talk,
I say the older cards
could be valuable—
they already know
that, and
turn their backs to me
and start across—
“good luck,” I call
but they do not respond
probably because
I did not buy.

Evil World

I get a call from “Amazon”
because my account “hacked”
with a 400$ charge for
an item I did not order
a guy with an Indian accent, tells me
bring up my bank account on-line
he will put the 400$ back
I say “OK” and
bring the account up
and he puts 400$ in
says “see?” But it is
4400$ not 400$
“Oh no!” he says.
Says he has made an error.
Says he will lose his job
unless, I send him back the
40000$, I tell him not to worry,
poor guy, I will send him a check
if he provides an address.
He thanks me, says
he is having a “bad day”
I can relate, I know what
those days are like, poor
guy, he says he needs the
money right away, will
I transfer to his bank account?
Sure I will. He helps me through the
paperwork and I send, but
my bank declines to pay
because his bank is in
a “sanctioned” foreign country;
I tell my bank send anyway
and the poor guy and I
resend, but
declined again; he
suggests a bank in a different
country and we go through the
process again, and send, but, again
my bank declines to pay—
my “friend” has another idea
but I say I am sick of sending
and am going to go downtown to
my bank and straighten things
out, he begs me not to, “Please!
Just two more minutes!” I say
“alright,” and give him two, then
two times two, then hang-up the
phone and drive to my bank, wondering
on the way, if something is screwy about
the deal…
The bank teller listens to me for
less than a minute before running me
to the manager who
swings into action and
saves my money
(a lot more than 4000$).
The demon had almost had me
in his crocodile-mouth;
had almost tasted the sum of
my account.

Obviously

Almost get run into by
a silver SUV shooting through the
parking lot—
“where are you going?” I shout
“do you know?”
The jackass pulls up
in front of the bank.
I hope he tries to start something.
I hope not.
Blue sky, lighter above the
ridge line than
higher up, or
is this an illusion?
I walk through the smell of
the pizza parlor (regret being
on a diet), halfway
across the street
a truck, nose stuck over the
crosswalk: “you know you are on the
crosswalk?”
“Tell me the obvious!” says
the joker (wearing a MAGA
ball cap).

Obvious or not: wtf?