Walk Eleven - STOP SIGNS
Through the filtered screen
of a thick gray shade,
I can see the sun’s light
gliding across the roofs of cars
lined in two rows
I leave the cafe
stepping out into the generous warmth
this lucky December day has to share
Leaving my gloves in my pocket,
I walk up to more sunlight
It glides down the pink pair
of children’s slides
on a whimsical descend of its own
My shadow graces the empty basketball court
behind the children’s park
I watch it slide across the ground
And from the other side,
once I turn the corner,
I watch the sunlight roll across
the empty space
The court is not loveless, though lonely
The sun keeps it better company
Drying in the winter’s chill,
what’s left of a tenacious
Cherry Blossom tree gently swings
above my head
as I peer up
watching the faint pink pieces
and how they almost blend into
the faintness of today’s sky
The tree’s branches and bark
hold the pink like loyal hands
CEASE FIRE
NOW
The MESSAGE sits in someone’s window
right above the big street
where shoppers carry their groceries,
apparel, and hardware
My feet beat pavement
as I think of the songs
stolen from Palestine…
BOUNCE
BOUNCE
BOUNCE
The sound of a basketball popping
the sidewalk cracks me open
The hooded human in black
plays his instrument, his ball,
graciously
He pauses his bounce
as I walk through
the space in between him and his friend
They speak to each other
from each side;
remnants of an unfolding story
trail behind my back
as I approach a STOP sign
For some reason,
STOP signs have been
meaning something to me lately
A heap of lyrical birds
sing above my head,
in the sprawled hand of a naked tree
as I approach a building held by vines
Like veins on a body,
the brown travels the brick wall,
spreading from its roots
and around the architecture
I sigh
Above the door to someone’s house,
A PRIDE flag—one of my many flags—
wiggles as wind builds
Trudging forth through my afternoon,
I wonder “If I had a flag of my very own,
what would it look like?
How would I wave it?”
My flag is yellow, for resilience,
pink for courage,
orange for insecurities,
green for nature,
brown for wisdom,
purple for humor,
blue for playfulness,
and black for love
What are your colors?