Wow, amazung voice, the guiar is really goob.

You'd walk past it
Most do
Paint chipped like bad decisions
One leg shorter than it used to be
Still, it waits
Under that half-dead tree

Enters girl, maybe seventeen?
Big sunglasses, bigger bubble tea
and a mop of joy named Pickle
Yes, she named the dog Pickle

She sits, cross-legged, like a question mark
tells Pickle he's a star
Snaps twenty-five angles
of one floppy ear and one historic bench

Caption?
"Look who found the philosopher's throne
😊😊😂❤️
#deepbarkthoughts"

Pickle pees on the tree
Bench approves
Tree does not comment

Then: a man and a woman
The date
They bring mulled wine in a thermos
Sit sideways, legs tangled like headphones in a drawer
He says something about stars
She says something about Lady Gaga
They kiss somewhere in the middle

A busker walks by singing Wonderwall
They tip him a sandwich and a smile
Bench approves
God of music sighs

Third act: Old man
Corduroy jacket in summer
Hands folded like quiet apologies

He doesn't speak
Doesn't blink much either
Just feeds pigeons one crumb at a time
like each one is a password to another day

He might be waiting
Or forgetting
Or remembering wrong on purpose

Bench knows his name
And age
And weight
And history
Doesn't say it out loud
Not polite

Pickle runs past again
He is twice as large now
The couple, now maybe married, maybe not, walk by
With a stroller

The old man doesn't come anymore
The bench doesn't judge
It just
Is there

Comments

Daniel Lars

John Hardman - musician, writer, producer

user281981355 JOE D

Phil Seatins

Midnight Sun Society

𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙮 𝘽𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙

Harvey Twyman

YAELi

Juan Fco. Bueno

Myckael Marcovic