sometimes, people from my past have sifted through time so quickly that it seems as if i never even knew them; not even for a second. the time was never spent and i have no recollection of them other than a trip to the flea market or a high school locker combination: i am indifferent about these folks but this does not cause me sadness. i will not mention their names; most of which i have forgotten anyway.

others pop up repeatedly and happily; a slight wave, "hello! you'll never see me again!" and it warms my heart as much as it makes it weep: evelyn, the old volunteer at the hospital gift shop; larry, my tenth grade buddy with the blonde skater haircut; mr. olly, the neighbor across the street from my grandmother that worked for general mills.

some people's limbs turn creamy caramel;
mine stays sallow and spotted, like the cement sidewalks i observe walking down Ashland.
the copper/bronze company implants in the sidewalk make me wonder why they ever changed the formula for cement.
why?