Reading in Public

The day is unseasonably warm
 I walk into a dark tavern with air conditioning
Mid day, Sunday, right bbefore kickoff
I sit anywhere
And they sit everywhere

I turn a page and look off into empty space
Confusing them
Why wold anybody read a book here
Why would anybody read a book?

The table I'm sitting in is suddenly occupied by women
Bleached hair, gaudy colorfull tatoos
They sit and laugh at the men that admire them
I can tell they want me to leave

In the cold confines of stone buldings
They want too sit next to me in the suns warmth
I let them sit at my table
But I keep one foot on chair and refuse to interact

I am in Cuernavaca looking for Traven
I am in Tenochtitlan being massacred alonside the Mexica
In slotitary confinement in New Mexico
In the court room with a red, white and green briefcase adressing the judge
I am evrywhere and so are they