—
the last three years of my life have been waiting.
waiting to get out of my mom’s house.
waiting for a better job.
waiting to see if my pieces
are worth putting back together.
i taught myself to wait
in 6th or 7th grade,
with a dumb look on my face,
hypnotized by the thoughts
of food or girls.
back when the world
was simpler.
i taught myself to wait
with a straight look on my face,
sittin’ on the F train.
hypnotized by the rise
and fall of my stomach.
back when i was lonely
by decision, in a city
full of millions.
i taught myself to wait
with an apartment hardly paid
and a smile up on my face,
hypnotized by the rhythm
of the bright side, hidden
in my shit luck, bitten
by a stink bug.
waiting is the fun part,
also the worst part.
moments are a tease,
gone in a sneeze.
i taught myself to wait
staring at trees
fly by
on long car rides.
—
“waiting”
©Steven Cuenca
