men pacing on rooftops in the sun
and clouds above them, almost high enough
to see the rollercoasters in the distance
no wind, just beating heat on chests and backs
and upon themselves, the men take in
the empty questions
"why am i here?"
they answer themselves with,
"where else would i be?"
come up short.

a kid kicks an empty pop can in the next town over
his best friend trails behind and watches
he's holding a fist in his pocket
just waiting for something,

everybody in this town waits
while everybody in the next town waits
while all the faces in the next next town stare into
the blank screen of every single day.