It’s Thursday, August, mid-afternoon
and the sun’s playing reflecting games
with the pavement.
On the sidewalk are
heat and gum-turned-tar
and enough pigeons to slow you down.
They dawdle and squawk
and delight in the hazy warmth.
It’s August,
and it feels like they’re the only ones who’ve noticed.
Your lunch break ended twenty minutes ago
but it’s Thursday, August,
and before long you’re sitting on the corner store stoop, basking in
sweet sunlight and downing the last of the bottled lemonade. A pigeon
trundles in front of you and
people hurrying by dodge you both as though you’re
one unproductive unit.
But hey, the pigeon isn’t bothered
and so why should you be?
It’s Thursday, August, you’re kicking it with sidewalk pigeons
and your heart’s soaring up to the telephone wires.
This piece was published under The Ubyssey's Creative Non-fiction Corner. Want to submit a personal essay, short story or poem? Subscribe to our features newsletter for monthly writing prompts under this column.
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