I had a dream
I went to a chicken place
In New York City
I’d never been
To the chicken place before
I don’t really go
To chicken places
I don’t have
Anything against
Chicken
Or the places
Who love them
But it’s just not something
I make it a point to do
But in dreams
You do things
And in this dream
I’m in New York
And I’m at a chicken place
I have no idea
How I know it’s New York
But the thing about New York
Even if you’ve never been
To New York
Is that you know
When you’re in
New York
I should say
That I have not been
To New York
In almost a year
It’s the longest I’ve gone
Without going to New York
Since I was a lot younger
Than I am now
I used to go to New York
For reasons
That had to do with me
There were things
I like about New York
That are not available
To me
Right now
But I never thought
About New York
In those terms
In terms of
What it had
To offer me
It’s strange
That we never think about
What we take from places
When we’re able
To drop in
And leave
And we think about
Using people
Right?
We think about
How we shouldn’t
Use people
And take
But
We don’t think about
Places
That way
What it means
To show up somewhere
Drink in its bars
Eat in its restaurants
Move about
Like we’re in a bubble
That we brought from home
And keep ourselves
Separate
From the place we’re in
And what does that say
About us
And how we live
And how would we--
Would we even call that
Traveling?
Would that constitute
Saying
That we enjoy
Traveling to places?
This chicken place
It seemed nice
It seemed like
I really enjoyed
The chicken
I was eating there
I should go find
A chicken place
Like that
The next time
I’m in New York
I should try
To think about
What I can give
To a place
The next time
I’m there
Maybe a conversation
With someone who lives there
Maybe see a place
That isn’t the place
Everybody else sees
Maybe it’s something
I’m going to have to
Dream about first
Maybe that’s
The way
To do it
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