Cracks in the Pavement
Location
The roads were grey back then
Cracked- where the tar filled in
And we used to play little games
Of “don’t touch the lava”
Because the asphalt
Burned our feet
And the sun
Melted the tar.
And I remember thinking
we never wore any shoes-
Because the tar was always melted
To just the right texture.
And now I know
We started wearing shoes
The day they paved the roads
Because there were no safe places anymore.
But today, if I were a kid
I would walk the street with bare feet
Because they have all cracked again
And tar still melts in summer.
But I’m not a kid,
And there are still no safe places, anymore.