SIDEWALK

Hot summer day, pressing down on my head. shorts, shirt, sneakers. nothing else to do. down to the cul-de-sac-turn-around thing where cracks in the asphalt spell out the passing of many unbearably hot days like this one. don't walk barefoot on the sidewalk. it'll take off a layer of your skin. me sitting down on the curb, thighs feeling the rough burning concrete, sweat leaving dark marks on the edge. there's a smell like the road is on fire. the air above it bends the view beyond, waves of distortion rising in sheets. idly i finger the crack between perfect concrete squares, black and gooey, like frosting. unable to stop myself, i pull finger full after fingerfull out, stretch it like toffee along the canvas of the walk. my first Pollack. the smell is sweet and putrid at the same time. I'm tempted to put a greasy morsel into my mouth...almost. now I'm realizing what I've done as i try to scrape the crap off my fingers onto the sidewalk.