The misplaced tile in the
Newly laid footpath.
It bothers me.
Who in their right mind
Could do that?
Did the Masons think
It was okay to put it in there
Without any thought?
Or the engineer deliberately
Planned it, to mess with
The passersby?
The red and black tiles
That alternate throughout
In perfect harmony-
Now, have a sudden ebb
Of surprise.
An older couple on the
Evening stroll might
Suffer a stroke by
The shock of that sight.
The conspicuous oddity
Of a red tile in place
Of the black can even
Attract aliens who admire,
Geometric maladies.
I'm more worried about
That one over-aged man-
Who might after years,
Become a child for a while-
And decide to walk only
On the black tiles.
And before he could
Smile over his little feat,
Step on the Red one
For no fault of his,
To have his day ruined.