Worn Fit--By John Zedolik--United States

Worn Fit

I like the feel of brick pavement

on my feet, the rounded edges

roll under the bones, skilled touch

welcome to the traveling man

who will have to climb onto concrete

soon or asphalt close behind that will

only answer flat and hard

or chipped or rutted, ravines of twisting

wilderness enough to sprain an erring ankle

So I will sail out into the street where the

pavement baked generations ago still

runs at least this sloping block

and offer the feet—even treading—

the grooves and rounds of rest

For thirteen years, John Zedolik taught English and Latin in a private all-girls school, and in 2010 completed his Ph.D., in which he focused on the pragmatic comedy of the Canterbury Tales. Currently, he is an adjunct instructor at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. However, he has had many jobs in his life including archaeological field assistant, obituary writer, and television-screen-factory worker. His iPhone is now his primary poetry notebook, and he hopes his negotiation with technology in regard to this ancient art form continues to be successful.