This

fried pancakes
bicycle lanes
red taxis, dented and dusty.
cracked sidewalks, grey asphalt
construction cranes, dust.
mid-noon sun. scorching.
haircuts, hutongs.
yogurt in china bottles.
blue tops, straws,
skewers, spicy oil boiling,
one kuai bills,
chairman mao’s smiling face,
his beauty spot.
expats, blonde haired blue eyed backpackers,
sanlitun alleys, bars,
fake alcohol, kamikazes, b52s,
nanjie, bartenders,
heels, skinny legs,
girls, girls. drag queens,
kfcs and mcdonalds lining the streets,
jay chou posters,
bargaining with store owners,
new malls, zara,
lamb skewers, flip flops in the summer
Beijing dust.
international schools, local schools
cotton polyester blue white
sweatshirt uniforms.
cut hair, glasses, tests,
chalk, blackboard, aluminum trays,
school lunch. instant noodles,
supermarkets, smoked meats,
chips, perfume,
compounds, guards, ayis,
English, Chinese, Korean, Finnish.
buses that talk.
subway entrances with new doors,
fancy ticket machines.
people,
people,
people pushing, butting in line,
cursing, smoking,
squatting,
living.
Beijing.