Ryan Eckes

If SEPTA is late, I’m late. We are late. This dark and dreary Monday morning, SEPTA is late again.

How much of our lives is spent standing on subway platforms? I ponder austerity and the

ineptitude of American politicians. Why are the rich so lazy and irresponsible? I kick around

some answers while rats scurry about the tracks. 

On the train my thoughts drift to sex and love and, you know, the weekend, which was created

by who, and for what? Workers, who wanted time for . . . “what we will.”

*

When I arrive, my coworkers are laughing in the hallway mid-conversation. They make me

smile. “Damn, your coffee is stinking up the hallway, Ryan!” 

The coffee is fabulous. I sit down at my desk and drink it. So begins another day of investigating

employers for wage theft. The plan is to recover more money for workers this week. 

*

For lunch I go to Jean’s Cafe on Walnut Street and have a spinach omelet with swiss cheese and

home fries and rye toast. I love this place, come here about once a week. People come in and

look up at the specials on the chalkboard. You can’t go wrong here. Playing on the radio today:

here comes santa claus here comes santa claus . . .

*

After the omelet I take a quick walk through center city and stop to admire one of my favorite

buildings, the Hale Building, at the corner of Chestnut and Juniper. Built in 1887, it was

designed by Willis Hale of Divine Lorraine fame. If I lived in this building I would write ten books

of poetry under another name, a billowy name. People once thought this building was ugly.

Strange.

*

Around 3 I take a break, which means a 15-minute walk outside, and take a few more photos

with my phone. I want to make some kind of photo collage for A Year in Philly! I meander

through the Xmas village, nothing, nothing, nothing, then run into myself in a puddle. I feel that

I am ready to go home. But there are a couple more hours to go. I look ahead, I look south.

*

Five o’clock and it’s dark but warm enough to walk home in the wet air. It’s wonderful. Takes

me about 30 minutes. I wind up walking through the Italian Market, which lately I love.

*

Back home I open the fridge and decide to have hot smoked salmon with rice and vegetables.  

After dinner I call my friend Kim and we talk about the serious business of poetry. We run a

press together, Radiator Press. We get things done. 

Then I put on some music, pour myself a glass of amaro, and let the night unfold.

Ryan Eckes is a poet from Philadelphia. His latest book is called Wrong Heaven Again. He has worked many jobs and been many things for many people, and now he wants mostly to be a comedian, part-time.