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Fifth Avenue
 
Presented by
bend of bay press 
http://www.bendofbay.org  
 
2IHe dances on manholes all over town. Francis, dancing, spins with one armextended. His hand cradling popcorn attracts pigeons from the park to his wrist andsleeve. Bobbing up and down, they lose feathers which loopily fall to the ground as hestruggles to maintain his balance. Francis, dancing, popcorn falling from the bagsuspended from his belt, popcorn forming a circle around the manhole.Cars swerve. Their drivers honking overwhelm the sound of pigeon wings andwater from the fountain. Drivers gesturing urge him onto Grand Army Plaza.Bismarck passes, walking briskly, the prozac tablets to be taken only under adoctor’s supervision filling his pockets. He glances repeatedly over his shoulder, certainof pursuit.Francis, feeding pigeons, dances on a manhole cover avoided by cars and taxicabswith their hoods popped to let in the air.IIOtto von Bismarck, boots rising high above the knee, slackens his pace and withdiminishing strides eyes shop windows along Fifth Avenue. Trump Tower rises over hisinstep. His oversized sweater falls well below the waist, concealing the top of the bootsand the loops used to pull them on.Approaching Tiffany’s he spies the King of France.
 
3He steps beneath the arch.Too late! The king has seen him and now draws near.“Oh! Ho, there! Otto,” he shouts, admiring the sweater taut over the belly andconcealing just a tiny bit of those spectacular boots.“Otto! How are you? Doing a little shopping? How are things in Prussia, Otto?”Bismarck bounces on the balls of his feet, his heels gently tapping the pavement.He rubs his hands briskly together to disperse a slight October chill. He glances into thestore to indicate he is waiting for someone and trying to be discreet.The king, familiar with the game, understands.IIIFranklin mania was still going strong. There was a hit song. The Louvre staged aretrospective of his work, consisting of carefully matted newspapers and pamphlets. Thefamous Aphorism Wallpaper was all the rage and decorated the entry to the gallery.The king had had enough. While he admired Ben’s wit and accomplishments andat times conceded he was the Newton of his day, Franklin had been in Paris for howmany years now and he wished people would say enough! already. And so he orderedseven hundred commodes emblazoned with Franklin in profile and presented them to hisdinner guests.
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