there are several things about sledding that a street sledder must know:
beware of traffic
you will never sled the first time you try unless someone pushes you over the edge
cardboard will only protect you from the snow while it is not wet so a garbage bag helps
you have to carve out a hard path to move forward, but it is faster to go down the same path once it has been carved
once the path hardens, it is hard to steer off of them and make new ones without a lot of speed
if you use your hands to steer, you can shred the skin off of your fingers without something to protect them
sometimes you only get part way down the hill but you still want to start at that peak
you have to climb up the hill every time but it is rewarding each time you get to slide down the hill
it takes more effort to climb the hill than it does to slide down
autumns weary saint unceremoniously patterns out a few leaves.
stained fingers against drum rolling tobacco papers work quickly.
round about him perenially leaking wisdom.
square about him corners juxtapose against his skin.
once again staggering round september
twice again full of muddied puddles.
three times again he blends his footsteps to unravel.
now the pavement tends to keep an ambivalent expression
at this time of year.
not like the elegant industrial poppies who's sledder stalks are
messed into a woven chain link fence next to the seven-eleven
on barber blvd.
leaning against the fence he can see through the window a glowing
ganesha next to the register chain smoking, he wonders if he will
ever be able to quit.
but still he is reverenced about this time of year.
autumns forgotten pilgrim holy in his rainy cathedral
waters all mosaics on street corners as he hides his secret
of a cracked oval sun with shaky gray clouded hands.
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