Campus in Autumn

Out of a stuffy classroom

into second hand smoke.

Brick, brick, and more brick.

Flick, flick, flick of lighters

Cigarette butts proliferate,

in the sidewalk cracks.

Rather than a quiet breeze,

gossip combines with

banging construction.

A dirty pigeon flies by.

The looming student center

reminds me of student fees,

high priced parking.

The cost of something new

which blocks my ocean view.

Girls and boys, 

barely twenty one

without hairspray, no make up,

no effort, no dippity do.

Anyone remember the eighties

like I do?

A wise old owl sits atop

the science center, watching.

An artist mistake sits on display,

unsculpted dung.

Its warm in the sun, cold in the shade.

Like being on the moon.

The last jacketless day.

A construction worker,

says hi to me.

Those sexy blue collar worker contrast

with cerebral and/or artsy nerds.

Which is better

to marry?

More second hand smoke

from a tattooed arm.

This ex con with a fresh start

makes an excellent turkey sandwich.

A cockroach scurries by,

the ultimate survivor.

Reviews

[roarke]

Broad, rich strokes are always great to compose with and read. Thoughts, observations, dreams and conclusions. Well painted. Ready to eat. Want kinda cheese on the turkey sammich?

[Coyote Poetry]

I lived in Ann Arbor. Mi. for many years. it was entertainment to sit and watch the going on of the college kids. You will be young once and life road is still wide open for you. A very good description of life and the questions we need to answer one day. A excellent poem.
Coyote

[Black Cat Fever]

This poem as an authentic university/college feel to it. It creates a very vivid picture of all the goings on that can and do occur there. Very nice job on this.

[.quan.011.]

Nice peom, one of the best I read

[loowzerX]

I love how you create this vignette in my head with such simple words. wonderful :)

[Closedown]

I wish I remembered the eighties. Humph. It's not interesting to be a nineties child yet. I loved the flow to this poem, and the wide picture it paints.

[Jordan]

Do I have to remember the 80's, how could I ever forget and yes I was in college in the 80's. Which is better to marry none of them unless you love them and they love you of course there are other factors. very cute write with a strong flow to it.

[Star Wolf]

Great write, fantastic stream of consciousness. This paints a very interesting picture of what one can take as the positive and the negative all mixed up in one place of higher education. Nice job.

[Rapterj]

I love the streaming flow of how everything is vividly described...beautiful...

[Robin]

I like observational poems , so many great lines, images and thoughts here , the ending - perfect