anti:freeze

I love this gritty space beneath the highway bridges, and I do not know why.

Maybe because bridges can lead me out of here.

Maybe because I can see the pure geometry of the city.

Maybe because of the grime.

Maybe because it feels most like a city. Or most like the promises of a city: anonymity, isolation, and danger.

Maybe because so few people appreciate it (and I have always had a taste for what others reject).

Maybe because I can hear water lapping at the riverbank.

Maybe because nobody can find me.

Or because it reminds me of the railroad trestle I hung out on as a kid.

Or because the light looks so blue.

Or the air feels chilly.

Or because it makes me wonder why I love it.