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American Cafe

by Gilbert Purdy

It just gives me the willies, how he stares;
at Eleanor, not me; well, sometimes
at me, too; sometimes his hair's
all sticking out like this. Christ,
why do we get all the fucking weirdos
here? I already talked to the cops:
they said give the word and off he goes.
You want these both in travel cups,
right? Well, they don't pay me enough
to put up with that: only three-seventy-five,
and the tips don't come to all that much.
You've seen him; I know you know the guy;
you know, the guy who walks like this;
I'm sure he was here the other day
when you and I both sat with Chris.
Yeah, he's the one: with his hair that way.
And then he just goes off sometimes;
you know: fuck-this, fuck-that. Screaming.
It's just that you're not here those times;
he can get pretty scarey, believe me.
I'm telling you the guy is odd;
he just keeps saying, 'You're really cute.'
If he touches me, so help me God,
there are knives back here that I will use.
I think we should call him Dances with Pigeons;
doesn't he strike you that way, too'
You know, the way he sits there, with his
head down, staring at his shoes.
Isn't there something you can take
for your schizophrenia? Isn't there?
Oh, I don't mean you; I mean a case
like him where all he does is stare.
No, he just wasn't bad right then;
believe me, you'd also see he was
if you were here to see him when
he started doing the things he does.
It goes in phases is what they say;
it's harder to see then is all; you
just aren't here when he's that way.
My skin crawls when he says, 'You're cute!'

Gilbert Wesley Purdy writes poetry, prose and translations. His work has appeared (and/or is scheduled to appear) in many paper and electronic journals, throughout the United States, Canada and Great Britain, including: Poetry International; Grand Street; SLANT; The Neovictorian/Cochlea; Elimae; and the Danforth Review.

 

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The Danforth Review is produced in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. All content is copyright of its creator and cannot be copied, printed, or downloaded without the consent of its creator. The Danforth Review is edited by Michael Bryson. Poetry Editors are Geoff Cook and Shane Neilson. Reviews Editors are Anthony Metivier (fiction) and Erin Gouthro (poetry). TDR alumnus officio: K.I. Press. All views expressed are those of the writer only. International submissions are encouraged. The Danforth Review is archived in the National Library of Canada. ISSN 1494-6114. 

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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts which last year invested $19.1 million in writing and publishing throughout Canada. Nous remercions de son soutien le Conseil des Arts du Canada, qui a investi 19,1 millions de dollars l'an dernier dans les lettres et l'édition à travers le Canada.