2nd and Union, 1986 by Leah Mueller

The pool hall in the 211
overflows with empty bottles,
stale piss and newspapers.
Huddled bodies lounge in

the corners. “Broken” sign
taped to elevator door.
My friends and I will
need to take the stairs.

Earnest white kids,
we bound up the steps to
the pool hall, and the
bald, middle-aged black dude,

same guy who played
the bartender in “House of Games”
brings me a warm Rainier.

“Do you have a jukebox?”
I ask. He laughs, shakes
his head. “No, sugar,” he replies.
“Just folks shooting pool.
We’re a pool hall.”

Rows of tables span the room
like tiny fields, dotted
with plastic, iridescent flowers.

We choose one, dead center,
shoot a couple of mediocre games,
lean on our table, giggle.
Everyone ignores us.

The 211 is already
slated for the wrecking ball.
Only question is when.
The building will fall
two years from now,

and that’s just the beginning.
Developers have big plans
for downtown Seattle,
and they don’t include you.

Leah Mueller is an indie writer and spoken word performer from Tacoma, Washington. She has published books with numerous small presses. Her most recent volumes, "Misguided Behavior, Tales of Poor Life Choices" (Czykmate Press) and "Death and Heartbreak" (Weasel Press) were released in October, 2019. Leah’s work also appears in Blunderbuss, The Spectacle, Outlook Springs, Atticus Review, Your Impossible Voice, and other publications. She won honorable mention in the 2012 Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry contest. Her new chapbook, "Cocktails at Denny's" is looking for a home.