Number 414
By Jan Philippe V. Carpio





Now serving
number four
one four
for
the day.

The numbers
red, segmented,
floating in light

waiting for
number four
two zero

sitting
at the
end
of the
line

for my turn
the ticket stubs reading
number four
two zero.

beside me, the
woman also
writes on her
envelope

but,
numbers, not
words, for ...
there's a number
four
in there
somewhere.

computations, figures
in addition
for ...

then,
a bell singing
electric -

Now serving
number four
one five
for
the day.

my ticket stub
reading
number four

two zero.​