Landscapes

Cracks in the pavement,

potholes pebbled with cold mix:

ice-hardened tires thump and jar.

Grip the wheel tightly;

hubcaps litter the street.

This is the season of lost pieces.

Thread carefully through the debris,

the frozen plastic

and the scraps of metal.

Streets fall apart,

paint flakes from the fenders,

axles bounce and bend,

and all we can do

is watch the rear view mirror

straining for a glimpse of summer

or wait for signs of hope”Men Working”

when suddenly the streets

flower with orange barrels in the spring.