raindrops peel themselves 

from the bottom of your boots

then launch through the air

and back onto your ankles, notice

the way cigarettes 

fit so exactly into the 

gaps of the sidewalk

all lined up like ants 

---

limp autumn leaves paper 

mache on the sidewalk you

are careful not to rip the

delicate fibers you dance

between them you’re 

watching closely, you are sure to

tread lightly

---

the rhythm of your

footsteps keeping time 

with the strangers 

marching beside you 

grazing your path

as you avoid the cracks

filled with cigarettes

you decide

the world is whole

in its smallest

parts.