I hopscotch across
alternating white and pavement
blocks of the crosswalk –
one foot for white,
two feet for pavement
until I leap atop the gutter curb
and must become an adult again
on the dull sidewalk
until I step across a crack zigging.
“Step on a crack, break your mother’s back.”
So now I Mother May I
big steps down the sidewalk
to the next crosswalk
that gallops like a zebra
across the street.
