he pushed the canvasbag slung over his shoulder slipping forward with the back of his arm  shrugged his shoulder couplethree times didnt help still rode forward

took the book down away from his face

slipped a bookmarker from the ALA American Library Association READ LIKE OUR RIGHTS DEPEND ON IT between the pages to keep his place

just ahead trees were throwing shade dappled light on the road the parking lot he would enter 

wasnt worth the while to try and read under them  the words obscured

                                                                              still walking

book in his left hanging his arm he looked down on his shadow

                                                                    looked at the back of his head

beside itplaying off the cover of the book Winslows The Final Score sunlight threw refracted scribbles on the pitted rock sand and concrete road

made him wonder

                     he played the sun off the bookcover onto his shadowhead  manipulated it  tried to see if he could fashion a face a subtle expression with the scribbled sunlight

couldnt unscribble the scribble

then the treeshade engulfed him

thought

         Tha was too bad

if he had he imagined it a shimmeringshivering galactic face

                                                                     a slight visitor from Beyond

a mariachi interrupted talked as they all did inside his head

                                                                  Friend  Careful what you wish for

It might have wanted to change places

 

1330,  Saturday,  15  8. 26

1208,  Sunday,  16  8. 26