in amsterdam
the orange masses celebrated the
day of the queen
while inside dark cafes
you chose from the
astounding assortment
of mind-altering packages
while fighting your way
through sleepless, half-drunk revelers…
i waited outside and watched the show
streetside
a sidewalk gawker
needing an expresso
and captured by my reflection
beside the colors
and lure of the painting
in a window across the lane…
although bumped and jostled from my sidewalk perch
i still recognized where i was and where i
silently stood
i was the one amid the sea of orange
wishing that
the numbered days of
our travels
would never end