A Pause for Ginko

As the edges of my nose harden red,

and the smooth debris of phlegm demand an exit,

as a cough scratches the back walls of my soft throat,

like a prisoner ready to escape,

I look up from the gray sidewalk,

and stop.

A wave of Ginko,

crisp yellow stamps against a sea-foam sky,

pause the grievance of seasonal allergies,

they stand in a perfect gradient amongst the pine and maple,

vibrant sisters of the earth,

swaying together until they've shaken each leaf down,

to decompose,

and turn brown.

I sniffle once,

catch a cool breeze slipping past my upper lip,

and keep walking.