works by william pham, 2005-present

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To the Girl at the Bus Stop
The bench must have been uncomfortable, with
uneven wooden boards and
wayward splinters that would have jabbed and
pricked like the tops of chain link fences.
Do I presume too much?
Your mascara ran; your eyes were gray, and
you crossed and uncrossed your legs,
drawing attention to the discoloration
upon your jeans, just above the left knee --
was it coffee, or was it tea?
Do I presume too much?
There is a spider building a home in the
corner of my bedroom and I watch it,
and I watch you, sitting on the bus stop bench,
mascara running every day a marathon.
Do I presume too much?
In my defense I run just as well,
away from the spiders building homes and
the tops of chain link fences and
the girls sitting on bus stop benches.

copyright (c) 2006 by william pham