Scraps of liter
just gliding by
like food tossed out the window of a car
eventually filling starving stomaches
providing long lasting seconds of satisfaction
every wrapper licked clean
because who knows when the next meal
will be found

Yellow paint
outlined across the hardened cement
setting guidelines and restrictions
like limits given to someone
alone
on the curb of a long road
limited cash, food, clothes
limited options

a cardboard sign in the palm of a thin man
along with a cup
gripped with boney fingers
hungry for the sound of
clinking coins
like gravel loosely settled on the
edge of a road
not wanting to migrate
but eventually being carried away
as the road lurks for a new collection
of crushed rock

the bright lights convert from yellow to red
allowing nearby cars time to
slow down
while making others arrive to an abrupt
stop
like strangers making their way down the street
some dropping money in lonely cups
without a glance
as if they’re forced
while others take the time to pass by with
a smile and let their greeting
linger

those types of roads are endless,
always silent,
and dreaded by all.