Remnant of Monday’s moon
hangs in mid-sky
just over the Japanese maple
on the corner of the bank drive-thru window.
The clean freshness of just-cut grass
peppers the morning mugginess.

Cars roll by
a succession of wheels
on the way to
work?
school?

I watch the morning world from
the brown metal chair
in the corner.

A respite from my brisk walk
down the hill
to the synagogue
to cast my vote.

I wonder
how my actions might impact
this microcosm
this morning world
on the corner.

Is it as simple as ordering
a cup
of coffee?

Curly, swirly
chewy, gooey
half-chewed sugar clinging
to baby teeth.
What’s a tooth worth these days?
A quarter?
A fifty-cent piece?
A dollar?

Here kiddo,
keep chewing.

Buy yourself a car.

Gold-tipped mountains
Pale blue horizon
Silvery slate clouds
Cornflower sky
Burnt yellow sun

Mother Nature’s Layer Cake.

She shuffles along
the mud-streaked wood floor
Wheezes
punctuate the forward push
of each foot.

Sigh

She cautiously lowers herself onto the bench.

Slouched
against the wall

she patiently waits
amid the whirlwind of art students coming and going.

She catches her breath.

A smile slowly spreads
as she admires the field of golden sunflowers
captured forever on painted canvas

by her own
trembling
hand.