rainy days at the 5 and 10

it's a vacant lot now.

gravel,

dirt,

a chain link fence

around nothing.

but i remember

the building,

the 5 and dime.

the counter where we

read

comic books,

drank cokes

and ate grilled cheese

sandwiches

until they made us

go home.

somewhere between

childhood

we wiled away

the rained filled summer

hours

in the cool store

with just pennies to our name.