So I had 3 separate
Russian guys
trying to pick me up
today at Brighton Beach
near Coney Island

The first one came up to me
with his phone to his ear
and asked
if I just tried to call him

???
(Was that a good pick-up line you think?)

The second said he worked
For the Russian government
And that he recognized me (?)
and then asked me if my husband
was Russian

He was disappointed when I said
he was Swedish
He left with a ”my bad luck”

The third just said something
In Russian
I stared at him and
looked down at my book.
See – I had taken the subway
to the beach to enjoy
the last late-summer temperature,
and to be by myself and re-visit
my youth by reading “The Mudd Club”

Meaning that every time
one of those three guys
came up to me and
wanted my attention
I looked up from the book
And – since I was in my
20-year-old mind –
I got very confused to see
a 55+ Russian man
wanting to talk to me

As this never happen to me
in my usual neighborhoods
I wonder if I should consider
this experience
a compliment
or an insult?