The lines were drawn some time ago;
they framed the fallen corpse
where it was found to be expired
and removed, in due course.
Its owner left it vacant there,
having no further need
of its method of transport,
or ability to read.
One might imagine that the chalk
by now would be long gone,
what with the traffic in this place
and all the goings’ on,
but there it is, as sharp and clean
as when it first was lain;
it’s neither flaked away to dust
or been washed down the drain.
The permanence of some things
seems a little bit off whack;
for instance, the sidewalk beneath
the chalk, no longer black,
but softened to a misty grey,
is cracked beyond repair
and only held together
by the chalk line drawing there.
27 JUN 2005
