A Crisp Sidewalk Shuffle

I hitched an afternoon ride down to the Washington Square fountain plaza to catch the weekend bustle. Over by the dry stone rim, a couple of discarded chalk sticks were lying flat beside a smooth brass bottle cap. I lined up a thick blue piece of sidewalk chalk across the granite flags like a sleek goal line. Taking a firm stance on my plush boots, I centered the heavy brass cap at the baseline. With one decisive, two-handed shove, I flicked the cap skittering across the pavement. It zipped cleanly through the chalk archway and spun to a dead halt right in the sunlight. A group of lounging students broke into spontaneous applause, and I crossed my plush arms, giving the fans an effortless, champion nod.