star on a sidewalk

the day gray with a lonely paint sky
a lake, ruffled but slow, made the cold more so
hermits us all, no one else exists
all heads tilted, no one else exists

a star on the sidewalk lay between cracks
open, unattached, spread, and shiny
red as christmas bows against the gray world
no one dared step on it, to stomp it out.
each, in passing, would warm up inside
with a secretive reason for slight happiness.
someone had that star once, someone let it fall
now it is everyone’s,
overcoming their lonely paint skies