Old Comet

back when Constant Reader was right next door

you could grab a used book

then go and drink SporTea

for hours on end

it's where i really got to know Bukowski

and Fante

where i read Of Mice And Men

and went to the bathroom after closing the last page

and cried

where i would watch the hipsters

in between reading

and realize that

though i had tattoos in the same places

and shared some of their taste in music

i wasn't one of them

but

i wanted to be