Inconvenience

she's walking on water,
though not like Jesus
(or even Peter) did
today, she struggles over
what the snowplow
has moved from the street
into her path

it covers the sidewalk
her route to the store ~
made necessary by a hungry baby,
who now rides in a cheap stroller
purchased cheaper at the thrift store

of course, she could have
avoided her search for the sidewalk
by taking the bus
but in a contest between
transportation and sustenance
the baby's belly always wins

so she walks
pushing over and through the snow
until her path is blocked
by sludge, once melted by car tires
now re-frozen
obstructing her journey
and forcing her into the street
where the path is clearer
though traffic is nearer
passing within inches of her life
as their drivers curse the inconvenience
of her stroller forcing their lane change