"by the time I reach the corner"

I’m halfway down the footpath

when the thought elbows in,

poking impolitely,

impatient to introduce itself

before I’ve even decided

whether I want company.

It’s rough around the edges,

like something dragged from a pocket

I didn’t remember using,

and it travels beside me

as the world keeps moving past,

winking as it leans into its weight

by the time I reach the corner.

     .