Page:Morley--Travels in Philadelphia.djvu/143

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MARKET STREET
127

which, after all, had been unconscious rather than actively cerebrated and with some vague intention of inquiring ultimately whether it were safe, now and here, to cross the highway or whether it would be better to wait until the semaphore (which, as he had just noticed, was turned to STOP) gave him undoubted privilege to pass unhindered, remarked again, but without malicious motive, which indeed would have been foreign to his mood and purpose: "Market street? How interesting."


I see the long defile of Market street,
And the young libertad offering to shine my shoes
(I do not have my shoes shined, for am I not as worthy without them shined? I put it to you, Camerado.)
And I see the maidens and young men flocking into the movies.
And I promulge this doctrine, that the government might have imposed twice as heavy a tax on amusements, and still young men and maidens would throng to the movies,
(O endless timidity of statesmen)
And I wonder whether I, too, will go in and give the eidolons the once over,
But putting my hand in my pocket I see that I have only thirteen cents
And it will cost me three cents to get back to Camden.
In a window I see a white-coated savan cooking griddle cakes,
And I think to myself, I am no better than he is,
And he is no better than I am,