there is no place to sit

my legs ache from the day
exhaustion sets deep in my bones
my bag is heavy, though my lunch box empty
here i carry the weight of my body, my mind, and my soul
but there is no place to sit

the streets bustle, people coming and going
either from work, school, or someplace else
or maybe they've been here all along
nowhere to go
and no place to sit

concrete, stone, brick, and steel
the city is all harsh edges and sharp corners
here you are not welcome, here you cannot stay
here, you cannot loiter, rest, or converse
here, there is no place to sit

the walls that hold seating are gated
gated by prestige, privilege, and pay
oh, what a world we live in
where the simple comfort of a seat
is one you must hand money over for
in there, is anyone truly welcome to sit?

the wait for the bus is long
others shift their weight around, just as i do
anything to ignore that need
or want, but is it truly a want?
a want to exist in a place, welcomed and seated?
that, i cannot know

for there is no place to sit