and it is noisy

and it is bruised but fruiting, like the pear tree in our yard, or the chemical equivalent of a pear tree, in liquid neon green 

and Rosie’s convenience store is across the street, untouched by ambulance, earthquake, old ladies gifting sturdy brick boxes to their adult children to knock down and cash in 

and everyone is thinking of seeing other people 

and everyone is learning Portuguese 

yes, we’re all there – every gardener and sublet and bad choice and sellout and song 

and no one is sick, no one is dead, no one has revealed their aspirations or credit scores

and the young men in their huge jeans at the corner are harbingers of nothing 

they have been granted permission to be rooted in place 

on land undeveloped

unstolen 

and this vape shop will never close