A view of the queue...............
I'm sitting outside a café
as my feet are killing me
from walking too much,
I've heavy bags and it's hot.
I watch a queue for Vue - Cinema,
they're showing Avatar.
The queue is getting longer
and people start to sweat.
A couple of guys down the front
start making whooping noises,
loudly, like they're apes.
I don't get it, at first,
but then I notice they're behind
a black man and they're
gesticulating to him.
I begin to feel uneasy.
The black man is big and stocky,
he ignores the thugs
but they won't stop.
People in the queue do nothing.
There's an old couple standing
next to the black guy.
The old lady starts to fidget,
she moves towards her husband.
The queue still does nothing
and the black guy stands stock still,
like a ship that's sailed into harbor
big and grand and masterful.
His invisible flag is flying high
and he stands there proud and firm.
The little old lady is still fidgeting
and the thugs are making ape noises.
The black man does nothing
and the queue does nothing.
Me, I watch from the café
and I do nothing, I'm scared.
People passing by start to gawp
start to stare and the queue does nothing
The little old lady starts to shake,
she's looking pale. She fidgets.
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poem by Ruth Walters
Added by Poetry Lover
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