.

On an island
in the midst of the crowded city street
Traffic lights blink
as colored tear drops hit the pavement

One way signs
all seem to point in your direction
casting aspersions,
via black and white arrows

Sidewalks filled
with throngs of gawking onlookers,
mouths wide open,
peering from the side of their faces

The deepening sadness
leaves you vulnerable to prying eyes
leering at your flesh,
exposed to high rise windows

You hang your head,
chin against your unclothed chest
and you see not one,
but two shadows on the asphalt

Suddenly you are
draped in the finest cloth money can buy,
shielded from the audience
who now divert their attention elsewhere

Turning, you see a friend,
naked, as his clothing now adorns your body
and you feel safe
with him at least for the moment

and sometimes a moment is all that is needed