Jacque's Toast

      Drooling and snorting trash man Aims a kick at the metal bin Clangs loudly on the pavement And the pigeons scatter Pigeons flung in the air like specks of dust Unwanted yet present in all walks of city life Don’t feed the birds, feed the city Buildings get bigger as space gets smaller Humans get darker as shadows grow taller.      

A tired bicycle on a wet, empty lane Pedals whir quickly, spin round and round But soon slow, slow, and stop. The bicycle is falling on its side Makes a clang- But it is an empty lane So it sits there, sideways, in the rain. That day, the boy forgot his umbrella. Sad and wet, he walked all the way. Oh what would it take to end this day? From street to street, his sopping feet Wishing for response Then, standing in the rain – he found a bike. It was wet, and on its side But it looked alright – it would ride. The boy hopped on, pedaling fast Wafts of dinner up, home at last.