The Laundromat

A couple argues

loudly outside.

The old woman

who runs the place

is busy mopping up

the mess from

a leaking washer.

A homeless guy

with a bike

plays rap music

on a stereo.

I sit and watch

my clothes roll in circles

in the machine,

almost mesmerized by it.

The days go on

and on this way.

Loneliness

At my job,

at the supermarket,

even around my own apartment.

I can never get away from it,

like some kind of ghost

that’s haunting me.

It’s there when I’m at work

and feeling barely human.It’s there when I’m taking a piss

Photo by Roberta Beach-Jacobson

Gabriel Bates is a writer living in Pittsburg, Kansas. His work has appeared in several publications, online and in print. Keep up with him at facebook.com/gabrieljbates