seconday inspection

getting it done
laying down the law
laying the wood now and again

things happen
plans are prepared
timeframes are ignored or atleast expanded

questions remain
timing is off or sometimes it's on
the lights line up for a fast break

real estate sits in wait
waiting out this lifeline counterfeit
dreams put out like a cigarette pressed pinched

ashtray memories of a time forgotten
with family
without friends

names and faces
times and places
i lost 30 mins. in seconday inspection today
and sulk state magazine tranced
the officer charges i hand documents
he walks away in silence
comes back to wait in silence for a moment
then asking for my papers
i was waiting for him to speak
and finally he has
he's in his late fifties, phillipino and slow moving like so many of these
border patrol men and women.
they all seem inflated
full of pride purpose and an air of
you're gonna wait till i'm ready to have you jump
they see my face
i'm obviously not mexican
tijuanenses look at me differently
and deal with me differently too
i suppose somewhere i think the border patrol
let's my air of intolerence and disgust slip just a little
longer than many
but that's an arrogant stance at best
and when thirty minutes pass and he walks up real slow like to not
raise his heart rate a half beat
I'm given my driver's license
vehicule registration and proff of insurance i am told nothing by this greying stoic
philipino man as he walks behind my car
''can i leave now" is not bothered with by him
and i wave another down
he's younger
he's humbled himself to come to my beck
and tells me that it is complete and if i just
back up i can resume my trip to work
now running late
angry again for the inconvience
how are you doing today
becomes
i was fine but now i'm late for work.