Jumping Through Hoops
Tucked between the tuk-tuks
she tumbled
in the narrow space of time
before the light turned green again.
She forced her frame into the metal hoop
and stretched her lips thin in a grin
that grew into a grimace — her teeth gritted tight,
clenched beneath the greasy wheels.
She groaned
as she cupped her hand through the open doors
and brushed her belly by the feet on the floor.
Three pairs of eyes shuffled back-and-forth,
stuck within the awkward uncertainty
of reaching for your wallet or trying to ignore.
Her jagged fingernails scraped against their hearts
and left dark stains upon their conscience
that crippled their better judgment.
With crinkled colored bills, they pushed away the pain
and shrugged their shame into the shadows.
As they settled back into their seats,
the lithe, little acrobat scurried away
in search of more.