9/30/16

Last day of September
the “seventh” month
which is the ninth
which is the first
of Fall
and the leaves have begun to, yes, fall

As I am walking back to the truck
Chinese food in my hand
well, in a bag,
okay,
actually in boxes, in a bag,
in my hand

I see scrawled, in chalk
insistent chalk (or is it chaulk?)
on the sidewalk (waulk?)
at the corner
in BIG LETTERS:

DON’T BE AFRAID TO CHANGE
THE LEAVES …

I don’t finish reading, my feet are moving, my eyes as well–
my mind finishes the sentence as I step into the crosswalk

THE LEAVES DO IT EVERY YEAR

something like that

I think of the teen who squatted there for ten minutes earlier in the day
Not a teen? The twenty-five year old? The earnest young one struggling with
a truth, working it out in non-trembling chalk

All I can think is

THE LEAVES DIE EVERY YEAR
They aren’t changing, they’re dying

Kids these days, they don’t know biology

Here’s a thought:

DON’T BE AFRAID TO STAY THE SAME
TO ACTUALLY BE WHO YOU ARE

Not a dying leaf in search of a teenaged metaphor

Take the time to not change, to allow yourself to be
Where is that chalk? (chaulk?)

There is something that needs changing, though
this failure to prepare a decent dinner
this easy reliance on China Star