I have forgotten
(or never knew)
everything these inscrutable creatures
could think or feel,

can only observe the young boy
wave from the market window
and smile at the young girl
strolling along the sidewalk,
hand-in-hand with her mother.

the girl’s head turns toward him
as she passes, neck craned
for a few short strides.
her free arm remains at her side.
her expression does not change
(or is anyways illegible), but still
some dull facet of myself glints
with their unfamiliar light.

I remain seated at a table in the shade
unsure of what to write,
conflating birdsong with internal combustion,
my breakfast finished hours ago.