A Party Yellow

            The trees are bare. No sunlight shines through green leaves. There is one maple in the neighbor’s yard, its leaves a party yellow. It stands like a pretty girl at the dance who doesn’t see the DJ packing up. She stands alone wishing someone would ask her for the next dance. Her wishing blocks the view of the almost empty hall.

            The next day’s wind will rip off the maple’s finery. The next moment’s hopelessness will move the girl out the door to the bus stop. She’ll wait under the streetlight’s unforgiving glare for the number 32 to take her to her neighborhood corner.