i sat on the steps of the business building today, eating lunch

i looked

students that moved in packs with heavy english textbooks
complaining loudly about tests and homework and the way class is taught

hurried professors pretending that they had something important to do
awkward at the students that walked passed them as if they were invisible
even more awkward at the students that did notice them

deans and officials in black suits with plastic smiles and barbie-doll body language


i walked out to the rain today
exclaimed
look! it's raining

a teacher looked at me and said
wasn't it raining when you came in?
didn't you notice?

and he laughed
a kindly laugh
a it's okay you'll grow up laugh

when did people forget how to forget?