Poetry: 100 Memories: 007: Prospecting by Bernise Carolino

100 MEMORIES: 007: PROSPECTING

by Bernise Carolino

daycrawler,

trekking the sprawling

city i adore - all neckties and

pencil skirts and

smoke breaks and

7-11 cup noodle lunches and

me, wandering

free, button-down wrists

swinging,

palm curled around the

shiny sheaf of flyers slick with

sun sweat as i recite

my mantra:

ma'am/sir, condos in

BGC/makati. would you,

ma'am/sir, like to walk the

little distance to the

showroom with me?

eyes trained for rolexes and

LVs, i assess the

next stranger:

middle-aged. middle eastern.

male. hello sir,

care for a 55-square-meter

city paradise? no time?

please write down your

name, your number, and

i shall call you

later.

now is nice, replies

middle-aged middle eastern male,

eyes assessing my breast

pocket, my silver

zipper. i know what he sees.

filipino. female. fresh fucking

fruit. he says, licking

lips, come see my motel.

see my room.

very nice, sir. very good. but

i'm afraid i must leave

very soon.

(the flyers must fly!

so do i!)

i throw shallow breaths

over my shoulders, traverse

this city i fear, this

city of monsters.