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May 26, 2017 - 77 words
Scurrying along the cracked sidewalk is a penny-sized beetle, missing a leg and desperate to find a haven of bushes or grass. Maybe its injury is recent. A dull rainbow sheen covers its reflective shell like a spot of oil in water. The recent rains have saturated the sandpapered concrete. The highway nearby is a constant buzz of white noise. A helicopter. A barking dog. A pickup truck in reverse. The last day before returning to work.