Caution

I was stopped there.
Right there at that busy busy intersection.
Right there at the corner of Peachtree and Lake Avenue.

Right there at the triangular red and white yield sign.
Leaning hard on my horn, 

Yelling for the car in front of me to go...

Just go already!
Because I myself had somewhere to go.

Hair and nail appointments wait for no one, 

I had to get there soon.

And then I saw why we were all stopped.
There was a man walking across the busy street
A man walking slowly in the crosswalk, back bent, his wispy red hair blowing in the wind, his blue overalls in need of a good washing.
A makeshift sign hung around his neck, and it read "Caution: I have Crohns disease".
He looked to be coughing, but he was actually laughing.
And looking at me

Laughing at me
As if to say
"Melanie Thomas, you are blessed that you can move so fast and you have somewhere to be."
And he was laughing at me because he could see into my heart

And he could plainly see that I was taking my life for granted.

From August 3, 2012 Women of Color Writing Workshop. 7 minute timed prompt.

Writing prompts: traffic sign, blue, Crohns disease, laughing, Melanie Thomas

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