My friends from Boston are in their early 20’s
In my memory
They will always be in their early 20’s
As I will never see them again
Good times
My friends from Virginia will always be in their late 30’s
But for one I remain in contact with
I will never see them again
Impoverished and bitter, then, ambition
Florida was (only) thirteen years ago
And I’ve been back several times
So one would say their friendship continues
My musician friends in Edmonton know how it was here, is now
Club owners, evolution of clubs, live venues that closed
Band members from so many years ago—still in town—
Occasionally regrouping to play for a night or two
In with the locals
Me, an outsider
With all those ways and customs I assimilated,
Left, learned again
Tore away from
My last stand, here
This city home to one million
Chinese, Lebanese, Africans, Indigenous
Those who grew up here
Those like me
Here, tired of new ways, places, my last stand
David Fekete 