flat tire

you stand and stare
at your flat tire.
you see the screw
embedded in the side.
a dog walks by. he sniffs
and wags his tail. a
child in her mother's
hand passes too. they smile,
and say hello. they
don't know the trouble
you have seen. and you
say hello back and
pretend that everything
is just fine. you get
the tire iron out,
the spare, the pump,
the jack.