maybe ol' blue eyes had it wrong

outside of the fairway market on broadway & 74th

are you a bear?

huh?
oh...

i've come to accept that strangers will and do talk to me, but i still get caught off-guard when one of these conversations begins.

i realize i'm wearing the cal sweatshirt my brother got me as a gift after i submitted by SIR six years ago.

are you a bear?

yes, i am.
er, i was.
i graduated already.

we walk a few feet down the crowded upper west side sidewalk in between overflowing bins of produce and people rushing by. he puts a hand on my shoulder nearest to him and says,

if you're a bear, you'll make it anywhere.

if you're a bear,
you'll make it anywhere.