Dog shit on the sidewalk. Hookers walking the streets. Dealers dealing. Thieves stealing. Mothers mugging. A cruiser passes by.

A kid stands on the corner smoking cigarettes and drinking a Yahoo. Summer was done hours ago. Maybe autumn will change our tune.

There used to be peace in the city come fall. With changing of  leaves, people’s attitudes changed as well.

A beauty was all over town. Suddenly, the guy who was going to kill you in August now wants to be your best friend in October. Count your blessings.

The kid crushes his smoke with his boot and throws the glass bottle to the concrete, breaking it into bits. He pulls out a bottle of cough syrup and downs it in one continuous gulp. Steady, boy. Steady.

Now it’s summer all the time in New York. The heat and the smell are too much to stand. Everyone is angry. It’s a high of 65 round Thanksgiving. Christmas will soon be here. Don’t look for any brotherly love or good tidings. Those days are gone.

The kid jumps the subway turnstile while a cop takes a nap. He examines a pocket knife his father gave him. Looks around the platform and sees an old lady who reminds him of his mother. The knife goes back into his pocket. 

Autumn will end soon.