.

Tweezers work magic,
it doesn’t hurt near what was expected
as the irritant is finally removed
from below the skin

It’s not a void, just a space,
quickly forgotten
soon to be just an illusion,
a rapidly fading echo

Silenced in grey tones
painted on chipped concrete
over dripping graffiti
unreadable at best

Finding sidewalks go both ways,
coming and going
so as not to miss the signs
for merchandise return

Where crowds gather
with department store bags in hand
hoping for a free sample
of the latest kool-aid flavor

While soapbox speakers
boast of past achievements,
wearing armor suits
proven to be defective

Complaining as doorways are boarded up
with rough edged 3/4" plywood,
secured with drywall screws
from the inside

And the world spins,
the sun sets and rises,
because in the end it is just another day,
with one less splinter