Short Story

Yogurt in the fridge
overdue. Decorative squirrel
watching the young couple
wrap themselves around a tree.
The plane being pulled out of the sky
out of love.

I go to the part of the city
that looks like a small town.
Even the cars are smaller.
And the post office is just around
every corner.
An officer is hosing off
a woman and her small dog.
The bicycle will only go as fast
as I can pedal except downhill.
Even rainy weather needs a stamp.

You called my name into a stone
and called it Character.
So what, arrest the leaves they're exploding
like gunshots and bleeding dark shades
of red and orange on the cement.