another dream

living with my aunt in midwest
depressed cause the land is so flat and characterless
sis says, no its not
looked outside and she was right
it was hilly, but treeless
grove of bare joshua trees
circle sun in monotone cloudless blue sky
dark green diorama-like grass hills
everything shrunken in scale
i feel claustrophobic

aunt deals in decrepit real estate
many years ago during a speculative housing boom in the area large mansions and houses were built
industry and jobs never came, houses were abandoned
now, largely deserted for miles around
i notice sporatic large broken down houses dotting the landscape
one house, rotted wood roof, partially collapsed, remaining beams like a spindly exoskeleton
trees growing by its walls, one growing inside, leaves protruding from the broken ceiling
watched it rotate in its miniture model scale as we drove past in the car

we went to visit 2 old men
living together with their wives in their ripe 80s
their house is large and well maicured
we meet at a patio table by their well maintained pool
old man one comes out, the polite, well mannered one.
welcomes us to his home
his buddy comes out next, buddies for dozens of years,
still gregarious and energetic in his ripe age
i admire his energy and social ease.
we chat, he has everyones full attention, smiles brimming on each face
periodically breaking into laughter on his cue
he mentions something about columbia
mentions something about not having a subway over 3 floors below the room
i dispute it
i had a dorm room 2 floors above the 1/9 line
i flashback to my dorm room
the staircase past the first floor of schapiro down below the red 1/9 subway plaque into the steel and concrete platform of the IRT.
"well damnnit i guess its true," concludes the old man effusively with a smile.
i admire his candor.
i wish i could have his ease.