A Snap Against the Curb

Slipped past the iron gate into the open sidewalk. Right by the curb, an abandoned plastic clothes hanger was wedged under a stray wooden curb stake. Heh. Stiff tension. I planted my plush knees into the dry gutter grit, grabbed the thin crossbar with both arms, and twisted upward. Crack-snap! The brittle plastic snapped in half with a sharp, explosive crack that kicked a cloud of sidewalk dust into the sun. A low, raspy chuckle escaped my teeth. I kicked the broken ends together, listening to that sharp hollow rattle bounce off the concrete.