Tangent

The sidewalk that lies

Underneath my feet says,

"some words last longer

than the breath that carries them"

And I find myself distracted

As we walk downtown.

I sip my drink and think

Of how this macchiato

Tastes like mornings spent

In my sister's mint apartment.

But the sun is shining down

Like Apollo's great fists

And I see that my ice cubes

Are starting to melt.

But your skirt is blue today

And the way it mimics

The nightmares of sailors

As it tumbles through the wind

Reminds me that I hate January.

So although I feel my shirt

Sticking to my back,

And although my iced coffee

Is now mostly water,

I turn my face up to the sky

And thank it

For days like this one.

We've veered off course slightly

So I look forward once more

Just in time to save myself

From skydiving off the curb

As a car skids past.

And it rustles some flowers

And I smile because the generated wind

Sends my hair into a frenzy of tangles

That tickle my chin.

And as we round the corner

I find myself tripping

Over familiar pavement stating,

"some words last longer

than the breath that carries them"

And the words I read

On the sidewalk below

Are not the words I hear

Coming out of your mouth

And I'm sorry that

I didn't hear a word you just said.