Story/Poem text

Walking down the Danforth in Autumn,
Remembering the joy of cold fizz on a hot day.
The ubiquitous restaurant patio:
Sunny and filled with laughter,
The performance of dining in public.

Now I just want my sidewalk back;
Resent the slalom around empty chairs
And useless wrought iron fences,
Splattered with a tapestry of discarded leaves.
A stinging reminder that summer is dead.