It’s my lunch hour
So I walk up the sidewalk
To the café slash bakery
And as I do, the wind picks up
And I notice my jacket
Does not really fit anymore
It fails to close properly now
I think about the heaviness
In my legs as I walk
And sand blows around me
Peppering my face and eyes
But I don’t really care
Because the snow has gone
And once where towering snow banks loomed,
There are now only street and cement.
I pass the burned out remains
Of an apartment building
Still smelling the cinders
Even though it was the depth of winter
When it burned
The blackened broken glass
From the windows
Fills the gutter near the sidewalk
There are remnants of catastrophe
Lying strewn about
Someone has painted “Ash Hoe”
On the wall in the alley
I see the sub shop is busy as usual
As I turn the corner
And head to the bakery
My mind is on idle
And my glasses have turned dark
In the sunshine
I am glad I have the day off
Tomorrow
Fridays have at least
That one blessing

© Diane E. Dockum, 2015
April 17, 2015