From this angle the heel of a boot looks
like any other;
the debris crushed
into tread indistinguishable
from one to the next.
It is that time again,
when the apples darken
to a shade shy of blood
and the air crisp like steel cuts as breath
through the death dry rattle of leaves.
For the first time in countless years
I fear death;
the absence of mint,
searching the trash,
then the soles of their feet for holes
drilled, not worn from asphalt
broken as bone.
Francesco Levato is an award winning poet, digital media artist, and the author of Marginal State (Fractal Edge Press 2006), a collection of poetry that tackles issues ranging from domestic violence and exploitation to war and political unrest.