Urban Sovereign

 
Gaunt, in a grimy dress and Burger King crown, 
she occupies the median  
with timely crayon-scrawled edicts:
          "Happy Spring" in April,
          "Whew, it's Hot" in August,
          "Boo" at Halloween.
 
From Lexus comfort,
drivers proffer coins through half-closed windows 
that she grabs, stone-faced, 
with yellow rubber kitchen gloves.
 
I drive on wishing she had a cape. 
A cape would solve everything.

                             First published in Misfit Magazine