Fountain, Center City
by John Jay Speredakos
Shirtless, the puberty dudes
backflash the liquid laughter
with enough ink to fill a squid.
Nearby, close enough to qualify
as loiter, a stubble of bums,
shaveless, sip paper bags
and listen to the gurgles fade
like so many wasted moments.
Nobody knows the name
of the kid on the curb, vacant
and stuck in a grin, who stares
at the adolescent black girl
as she watches the white water,
waiting for unsent messages
to uncork her smile. Meanwhile,
she shares certain selfies,
posed like a frozen cobra
hoping to catch snowflakes
on its tongue.
Only the No-Name kid gets it:
Immortal in Nikes, Seeker
of the Hoodie Grail, he
bounds from the shadows,
bolts to the bubbles,
and waves to the whales
spouting on the subway.
The ones he tamed.
The ones he knows
know him by name.
About the Author
John Jay Speredakos is a NY-based professional actor and writer with a BA from Muhlenberg College and an MFA from Rutgers University. He has appeared on and off-Broadway, in films, TV, commercials and radio dramas and is a devoted daddy to his daughter, Calliope. Recent publications include poetry in Typishly, River Heron Review, Cathexis Northwest Press, Chaleur Magazine, Gravitas: Volume 18 Issue 1, Tiny Seed Literary Journal, and work upcoming in Alternating Current, Portrait of New England, and Duck Lake Journal.
From the Editor
Check John out on IMDB!