cold sidewalks
with hot bodies
lying alone and together
    to keep warm

a harmonica keeps down the silence
as someone fishes through the garbage
for an apple
    or a moldy half eaten free-range cheeseburger
and a dog searches the gutters for aquaintences long gone

ignored by passers by; equally ignoring
satisfied with the company they keep
    newspapers, brick walls, empty paper cups
thoughts of hope, hopelessness, meandering through thier minds
mingling with stray notes from the harmonica
and contemplations of warm beds that get them through the night