Sidewalk Chalk

Before the buttercups and wisteria
have brought forth their color,
before my border hedge fills in
to block  the view of my neighbor's son
                             playing basketball,
a burst of pastel brightens my day--
calcium carbonate on concrete.

It bloomed yesterday afternoon,
amidst the laughter of toddlers--
not quite a promise of new life,
but potential all the same:
for their bright future,
for the hope of spring,
for the good day
that starts with a smile on my face.