four-skip

pink bubble gum and smudged grey dirt
anemic, tired, overworked treads, flying without heed
clack, slap, thud. clack thud, clack thud, thud. thud. thud.

she works the diseased ground over and over
relentlessly.
she jumps, she reaches, she stretches
beyond the deep azure sea mimicking
windchime calls from the houses of winged creatures
crying in the night.
she cannot tell if she (will, has, cannot)
ever get there
all she knows is to thud. thud. thud.

till the heartbeat of the little black bird
drains to a shrill halt
till her bubble gum sneakers
perish the fourskip tattoo
on the dirty tired ground.