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The following can also be found in the book Chicago Stories 1997. Click here to learn more, and to download a free electronic copy.

In Excalibur
the boys are boys
and the girls are girls

In Excalibur
the cheesy Spanish pop music
is king

In Excalibur
huge groups of co-workers
huddle around tables in corners
and talk about how great it is
that they've finally gotten to go out
and see each other out of the
work environment

In Excalibur
hearts are broken
people run home crying
women get on the stage
and try to win contests
by walking sexy
by feigning pornographic
lesbian poses

because maybe they're lesbians

but can't quite make the jump

and one of the stage walkers
comes over
and looks over my shoulder
and I
am
extremely
embarrassed

She could be one of my friends
who works for a living
you know,
(next page)

WORKS
for a living
because that's who she is

maybe she's one of my friends
who dances on the stage
because she fucking likes dance music
and likes dancing

and the rest
all of the rest
is just an annoyance
to deal with

when all she really wants to do
is dance
to let the music
fill up inside of her
move her

I shouldn't make presumptions
I hate it when people do it to me
so why do I do it?

Because I get scared sometimes.

Just like I think we all do.

We get scared of the people who aren't like us
We get scared of the people who are doing the thing
we want to do

I'm scared of her because she's up on the stage
dancing away
which is exactly what I want to be doing

Maybe she's scared of me
because I'm sitting in the corner
typing away
and maybe that's what she wants to be doing

I'll let her write.

maybe because shes just like you sitten here just trying to be like everyone else.
dont know who she is just trying to get along with this crazy world of fucked up l
people just trying to fit in but how do we fit in all different people in all
just trying to find what it is in life that is calling us.

i am always looking but it is yet to be found because i am lost in my world i created

Copyright 1997, Jason Pettus. All rights reserved. This was published under a Creative Commons license; click here for details. Contact: ilikejason [at] gmail [dot] com.