by alec pollak
walking in the rain up third avenue
noticing newly erected
scaffolding on 14th street
obscuring the old
building beneath it
suffering the renovations
transforming within the iron cocoon
amazing how suddenly it appears a
hulking exoskeleton
enveloping a familiar
building so normal you take it for granted
noticing for the first time the cracks and
crumbling bricks i stare at the
dulling eyes of gargoyles
thinking about a friend of mine
breaking up with her man
realizing she’s been
settling for safe instead of
working for what she wants
striving for the goals she’s been
dreaming of for years
imagining my friend covered in
scaffolding like the statue of liberty
making up her mind that the
passing time has called for renovations
blinking and suddenly cracks are
showing in all the places she’d been
ignoring before
looking down at my feet
shuffling in the puddles that are
collecting at the curb i see
reflecting back at me the metal rods
wrapping around my legs and i sigh
supposing that my time has come for
scaffolding
