four-lane road surging uphill
the thrill of stopping somewhere only visited in motion
wild fennel in the cracks of the pavement
paint splatters
yellow lichen-covered branches
a pigeon carcass
rapid shutter to exhaust surface novelties
over yonder, exposed sediment folds
balustrade vibrating with each vehicle over the joint
the expansion and contraction of concrete
the bending of solid rock
(both taking place right now, under my feet and before my eyes, at imperceptibly slow rates)
sheltering from droplets beneath the bridge
river turgid with the morning downpour
a single paint can floating down the middle
a minute later, a man in a camo-green kayak, pumping his paddle
a rooster crowing in the distance
the continued bah-bump of cars overhead
in the mud, the rubber tread of someone’s shoe