closing up shop
first they lock away the luxury goods –
alpaca fine knits
the real jewelry
and fancy watches –
things that might be worth smashing for
then they put up whatever barriers
they can afford –
a web of packing tape at Sunglass Hut
metal grille at Hugo Boss
clear plastic sheeting pieced together with tape at Coolbox
cerrado
the restaurants serve up whatever’s left –
3 dishes at the TGI Fridays:
babyback ribs
chicken-fried chicken
or Bucket of Bones,
all with mashed potatoes only
but these privations are so trivial
up here in the departures lounge
placidly sailing above the ticket counter chaos
out of sight far below
jammed with people who woke this morning
to learn the window for leaving had shut
each trying desperately to pry it open
just wide enough to slip through
