sunday morning commercial shoot

two hours
a hundred bucks, tax free

we filmed across the street from Radio City Music Hall
as the tourists streamed by

"what's this?" they'd ask
stopping
smiling
pulling out their cameras one by one

what a way to spend a sunday

truth be told
the better part of it was spent chatting
with a middle-aged actress named linda

ecstatic that she'd once been an extra on "sex and the city"
during charlotte and trey's wedding scene and rehearsal dinner

i forced her to tell me all the details
how the food on their plates was either fake or rotten
how the extras were kept in a dingy church basement
how the pay was less than terrible

"Gawd, i wish i'd been there!"
i shouted
"now tell me once again!"...

the commercial today was for an italian cell phone company
apparently the lead actor is a huge star over there
something somebody, or other

the name ended with an "i"
i know that
or maybe it was an "o"

at one point
a group of travelers from italy actually happened to pass by
mouths agape
"is that REALLY him?" the bronzed men asked

"it is"
we replied
surprised at ourselves just a little
filled with a sensation that just may have been pride

these commercials i've done
are tiny
insignificant
just silly really

the only one i've ever seen aired
was the maria sharapova ad i'd been forced to turn down
due to restaurant work

but, first the vh1 rock honors
then celebrity fit club
jc penney
the vma's
samsung

and now italy...

what can i say
they're fun
and i'm HUGE in europe