i did not know

what i was looking for

on that Thanksgiving morning

thought i’d take an early chance

the sun was sinking night

if nothing not nostalgia

where deserted storefronts drum

an outstretched hand in a doorway

the alienation hum

slippage in the alley calls out

“lonely tourists crossing”

history meets happenstance

if you filter what’s in sight

scanning what remains you see

it’s only Hoppers’ light

penny eisenberg 2011