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Ode to My Driveway

6:34 AM CDT on August 1, 2023

oh driveway
you are smooth, paved perfectly.
you fit into
your sidewalk slot
just like teeth
on a zipper.
the grip on these basketball shoes
trembles just to think
of hours they’ll spend
rubbing against your mighty skin.
oh so generous,
you share your tiles with the bugs.
you embrace the dirt and sand
that digs into your body
You let leaves fall
and smother you
in spring.
You accept a chilling blanket
of snow
tucking you to bed
until it is time to wake again.
With open arms
you welcome smiling children to your surface
multicolored chalk in their small hands
not a care in the world what they do with it.
How strong you are,
holding up
the weight of a hoop
for as long as one can remember.
Holding onto footsteps
of a determined kid
at five in the morning.
How reliable you are
to always take the pressure
of a new basketball
and bounce it back every time.
You do what you can
to make the world a better place.

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