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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!

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