things I have seen in my city

a “free palestine” poster,

a cop handcuffing a displaced man,

signs from the city promising streetcar expansion,

small children playing in the fountains,

three vintage shops right next to each other,

a boutique in an old old house,

a protest,

street racers and ATVs taking over the downtown on weekend nights,

the new ferris wheel (its lights are too bright),

the big public library with the small parking lot,

three different farmers’ markets,

an independent record shop,

a protest,

tiny dive bars where my favorite local bands play,

litter and debris all over the highway (when has anyone seen anyone doing cleanup? I don’t remember),

estate sales and real estate auctions and foreclosures,

food trucks gathering,

the ice skating rink (which is always too busy for me to skate as fast as I’d like),

a protest,

the new children’s museum,

tear gas canisters,

a jazz-age speakeasy with a secret door,

broken glass on the sidewalk,

a garden-themed coffee shop,

2023 Dodge Charger police cars,

the yearly holiday market near the aquarium,

a flyer for the Proud Boys,

the new stadium for a soccer team,

the police handcuffing my friend, and my friend, and my friend,

a drag-themed brunch spot,

a protest,

a protest,

a protest where too many people that I love got hurt,

signs from the city promising increased police presence,

a cop handcuffing a displaced woman,

a “free palestine” poster

Valor Oak is a midwest-based writer who works as a music journalist and takes way too many pictures of their dog. Follow them on Twitter (@twomanyeggs) for updates on their projects and a lot of yapping.