there’s a woman who sits on the sidewalk
surrounded by her belongings
eating last night’s pizza from a greasy box
she doesn’t seem to care how close she is to the curb
rolling her eyes at the exhaust the buses leave behind
as they hurriedly turn the corner and come to a stop
barely grazing her left hip
another woman passes by and gives her $2 that she quickly
hides in one of her pockets
for safe keeping from desperate eyes
what has numbed her to danger
on a Thursday morning at rush hour when she could be
anywhere else
having breakfast with her man
or taking her kids to school
but she’s here
with last night’s pizza that somebody left in the trash
and there’s nothing better
except to remember life
before living became so damn complicated
the sidewalk is an escape
from what was just too much to deal with in a day
out here it’s safer
than being indoors
and although most would disagree
i feel her
