Meditation on a city street

Parked diagonally on Wazee.

The sky above is lavender. To the east, it's bright.

The meter flashes Expired, on and off and on and off and on and off, steady and fast as a marathoner's heartbeat.

Buses shuttle past. Delivery trucks rumble and clatter.

Buildings' windows conceal their contents, reflecting only the lavender sky.

Ice dams from last week's snow still lurk in the north-facing gutters.

The sloping sidewalk lies at the edge of the street,
beneath the buildings' front steps.

Silent and solid.