A man sat down on the bench on the other side of Murphy.
"Nice kitty," he said. Tentatively.
In what sounded like a German accent.

Beside the pool,
two young women were waving multi-braceleted arms.
As if the jangling and clinking
was an overture to their conversation.
I only heard the music of their bracelets
and a few beginning phrases.

"So what else is new?"