Unicorns

There used to be crowds
outside of novelty shops in the mall.
People would pass the time
staring through the window,
shift their weight back and forth,
squint their eyes real small then
open them as big as they could.
Some stopped blinking.

Occasionally, someone would laugh:
“I see it. It’s a unicorn.”
Then they’d give their friends
confusing directions:

“No, No
you’ve got to
un-focus your eyes
and look behind the painting.”

I’d follow the directions
as close as I could
but never saw anything
besides splotch-color designs.

The whole thing felt rigged to me.
Fortunately, a kid can live
not seeing unicorns in a poster
without too much pining.