the platitudes of willful resemblance

the old camera shop

I’ll never forget the furling flags
above fire escapes
outside the walk-ups
     of downtown Chicago.

it was on S. Wabash near the 623
     S. Wabash Columbia College building.
an old camera shop
across the street,

now gone, replaced by a warehouse liquors.
and other signs of
progress washing over
     my city, —

KFC
Subway
Pizza Hut
Dunkin Donuts
Baskin Robbins
open 24 hours
and a Tamarind
for the hip in the South Loop

but I’ll never forget the flags, furling,
above fire escapes 
outside the walk-ups
     of downtown Chicago.

– Hoc Scripsi