another ode to another show.

blue eyeliner,

green and pink eye shadow,

crossed braids,

her name was whitney

she turned around and said hi to me, asked my name and invited me in the circle

more and more came to that circle

the one i talked to was a grad student studying architecture from the uk,

she said they all live by each other and don’t know james’s music but they know him.

inside i met this girl who said she mostly wanted to come to check the place out, she wants to perform here sometime

she also did the concert whisper, which is indeed a yell but no one else can hear

she said 'i’m tryna date this kid'

(gesturing to the boy next to her)

she said i was pretty and catching guys eyes,

(saying what she wanted repeated)

i wish i knew how to wingman her

but i just sang and danced.

the boy caught a mandarin james threw,

then another

he let the two of us girls share the extra one

(it was delicious)

after the show i walked out

into the air that could’ve been cold but

only felt amazing after so many bodies

into the silence

like the kind in movies after a bomb goes off

i walked across the street

stood at the bus stop

two motorcyclists drove by

one waved

then the other

i waved just as he looked away

he looked back though

saw me waving and waved back from far up the street

the kid, the one she said she was tryna date

he got my number to add me to a group chat

hes cool, younger than me i think,

but i hope he goes for her or

she finds a new love.