A Map of Faces

(An Autumn heart in early summer, Betty the Beautiful Chicken. A moth finds light on a dark night. An orange poppy golden as sun-tanned finger tips.)

    Someday I want to make a map of the city called: A Map of Interesting People. It wouldn't actually be a map showing where interesting people lived, it would be a map of the best people-watching spots. Because wherever people are, there will be interesting people to watch. The map would feature locations such as park benches where one can sit and watch interesting people mill about around them. Or cafe's that have good spots to cozy-up in front of a window and watch as the people stream past. The other day I went to the library after work, but because I hadn't ate lunch yet, I stopped at a piroshki .hop and got a piroshki and coffee. The shop had one of those bar seats that looks out a window to the street. I saw all sorts of interesting people walk past: Tourists with determined walks, but distracted faces. People with sad histories shuffling with hunched shoulders. Girls with cute outfits. Guys with neat facial hair. Faces that tell stories. Postures that give warnings. Old ladies with big glasses and frizzy hair. Children skipping in colorful shoes. There was a woman with a round face and smeared make up who peered into the window I was staring from. We caught eye contact for a small moment before she trudged onward. Later, when I was outside the cafe and back on the street heading toward the library, I ran into the round-faced woman. On the corner at the stoplight, she asked me if I listen to the hits. I said 'sometimes,' even thought I don't really know what counts as a hit, and I really just listen to whatever I like. But she nodded her head as if she knew exactly what my 'sometimes' answer meant. Then I crossed the street and turned the corner while she continued straight down the street, maybe with a musical hit jingling around in her thoughts.

(Little Faces: Grinning moon and bearded man. Frowning near the sidewalk. Drooping on a fence. Missing a nose, mouth and head.)