On my daily walk I often overhear snippets of conversations of the runners, walkers and joggers as they pass me by. One day I collected the snippets as they reached my ears, put them together & discovered…Passerby Poems!! These poems have not been edited. | The sentences are in the order they passed by my ears. | I am often struck with awe as themes, images, connections and meaning emerge. | They also make me smile and laugh out loud. |
Passerby Poems Collection II
1] I just freaked out on someone last week | I do think that would be awesome | I don’t really like small children | Watching Harry Potter for the second night in a row, yes! | I didn’t want to be around me so I lived in my head a lot. |
2] One of her best friends is married to my best friend | What do you do now? | That’s nice but I still couldn’t drive it | I mean it’s a high ceiling. |
3] It doesn’t have to be a Winnebago| I’ve always wanted to know how to dance | I think every time a wave comes the otter hides under it | Cowell’s beach has the essence of the Jaws movie beach right now. |
4] She never goes past three on the treadmill because she has short legs |Those people were one hundred percent nude, how lovely | It’s pretty lame. |
5] I turned 40 and all the things that mattered to me didn’t matter to me anymore | It’s right by where the bananas are | I am so severely messed up |Hey, I’ve got a question for ya! |
Sometimes we want all these intricate things | It’s like really old, like a hundred years old. |
6] Yeah, they tell you exactly what to do | Hey, can we get the Chapstick out of the car first? |
Yeah, that would be great | Oh, it’s such a pretty day | She just died not too long ago |
And the Germans came in and read the paper to us, the whole friggin thing! |
7] The reality will eventually hit him | Things need freshening up | To be by herself |
A big huge bong | Anyway | Where do you get something like that? |
8] So given the freedom of kids running outside while mom’s playing in the petunias | I haven’t seen nothing | She’s still not going | For a reputable location it’s highly competitive | You do a lot forward and a lot back.
9] You’re just looking out the window and you’re just mesmerized | Thirteen days in Las Vegas is a long time | They’re all in their late 30s so they want to have babies as soon as possible | If you want to get crazy, get nuts. | Why can’t you have sugar cereal? Because you get so crazy, arghhh! |
10] Aren’t you sad about father Jones? | A very unassuming guy | There is no poop fairy! |
11] And I’ve noticed that after having sex a few times my hip will feel better | I was so fucking cool, dude | He’s like, I’m just new to this | We got fried calamari and a desert salad yummmm meeeeeeee!!
12] I know what I know | Things have changed so much now | She had posted something saying Geminis are mouthy |He’s a work in progress. |
13] No matter who you are or where you are in life | What did dad tell you your whole entire life? |I don’t think it’s so common for a person to know a ton about one thing | I mean, I’m relatively smooth so you can’t call me a bear | Are you a complete idiot? What are you talking about? |
Passerby Poems Collection I
1] Love going downhill tho, Bro | I’ll probably still have to wear the patch | Buy me that lot and tear down that house | On and on and on la la la | My tube top and my booty shorts | No daddy, sing like Ariel again. | Ancient Greek Gods | It’s an eye opener all right! |
2] It makes so many of them | The best time is in September – no tourists. | No, no Diva! Bad Dog! | And that’s why | Watch out! |
3] What’s the difference? Dog Sitting? Baby Sitting? | I don’t have a boyfriend, I don’t have a cell phone | Heyyyy, you’re going way too fast!!!! | I’m not looking at that being a plus. | Is it? IS IT? | You know what they say…a tomato a day keeps the… |
4] I’m watching the dog barking, lowering my cosmic awareness. | It’s like his favorite thing, tho | It was quite amazing, those things you want to know… | He won’t even know the difference. |
5] He’s trying to come up with big concept ideas. | I don’t want to talk to you. | We’ll ride a boogie board right here | Then park at headquarters | Why the hell |
6] If I have any success in my life | It’s like Murphy’s law. | I was totally blown away | I often wonder if you still do the polar swim | I want him to feel this big | So she’ll come back for Christmas | Screw this house!!! |
7] I think this is the way. | Have you been having a hard time starting it in the morning? | You did the whole thing, Yay!! | So I get to their house and hear, “So, Bobbb got me a new carrr.” | I don’t know. | Straight lines can be very boring. |
8] Didn’t she already know that? | It means you are making that much less. | And she was axed out | You know I’m gonna do the best I can. | I completely got rid of it all… |
9] Boy, am I alive! | I’ve always wanted to… | Dip the bread into the wine | Darn tootin, she’s in some kinda boxing club. | Ok, sounds good. | It is THE year. |
10] It wasn’t a big deal, I was planning everything else | Well, why don’t you… | It’s weird for me |
11] Even with the hot rain |So I say to them all, do you have a match? | They do a really good job taking care of themselves. | I mean the smoke was so thick | I just feel really shitty doing it first thing in the morning | Cual? That house? That one? Aye Grande! | Good Morning! |
12] Dammitt!! You never let me finish talking | Habit, I guess. | Part of me is like she should. | Be nice puppy, be nice. |
13] He is very, very mature but he’s 30 | Or if it doesn’t happen | Whaddaya mean? | You know, the slow thing… |
14] I said when you’re ready to talk | It’s gonna be a big change | We passed them and Whoa!! | Coffee is really my addiction. |
15] I don’t know what to say. | So I went back. | And I was thinking about Jack | So basically what I’m doing is… | Severance, my severance pay | How can I help him do that and retire right now? |
16] In spite of everything else you are still wearing a thick coat inside the house | But I’m reeaallly happy | It’s not just her, it’s both. | Did you see the comments she got? |
17] I love inside, I mean, homemade french fries. | Well, it wasn’t shitty like | Oh shit, my fault son | 4…3..2…1… | I’m gonna guess it was close | So we’re gonna drive down | Yay yay | I’d rather die out there in the waves | So you remember what’s truly important and you write it down. |
18] Don’t be so lackadaisical | We have a girls’ lunch | And what are they supposed to do? | I got it! | Maybe it’s something to do with your dad. |
19] It’s really hard to find anywhere. | For a reputable location it’s highly competitive. | You do a lot forward and a lot back.
Photo Credit: Ally Finkel. 2015.