02.04.12

5:26 p.m.

the other day, while outside, i saw a group of high school girls.

a dozen or so high school girls, along with a few grown ups. and they were, apparently, on some sort of trip together. they were all wondering around justin herman plaza, heads cocked up high, looking at the tall tall buildings.

and there was one girl in particular, around fifteen, who was running around. running around, jumping on things. and on her face, she had the biggest smile you have ever seen. the biggest. and, at a moments notice, this girl was apt to start twirling around in circles for no apparent reason. with her arms out to her sides, much like a helicopter, twirling.

and me. while smoking cigarettes, watching, i say to myself, 'that girl there, she is happy to be alive.'

and there was a boy walking by. a boy walking by, around the same age as the girl. and this boy was hugging a bag of groceries in his arms, carrying them in the same way that girls in the fifties carried their school books.

and he noticed too. he noticed the girl, twirling and running. and he stopped.

he stopped and he stood up a little straighter. and he watched this girl as she ran around and jumped on things and twirled at a moments notice. he kept shifting his weight from one foot to the other and messing with his hair, watching.

and eventually the kids and the grown ups left. the group walking, slowly towards market street. the girl stopping every so often to twirl just a little bit more. and the boy, standing still in the same spot, watched as they disappeared.

and the boy stayed. for a moment longer, he stayed.

and eventually, he started walking again. in the same direction he was walking towards before he had stopped, he started. hugging his groceries while his head watched his feet.

and me, i had another cigarette.