TO WIDEN THE SIDEWALK ///Rochelle Jewel Shapiro
They cut down the cherry trees, petals like pink crepe paper bunched in the hands of children, the bark scored and scarred like fairy-tale trees. They cut down the flowering pears that showered white petals on my hair and shawled my shoulders. They ripped out the roots that held me steady. First, they lopped off limbs that left gray-lipped open mouths. I can still hear them scream.
52 SANSKRIT
