stanchions

240 stanchions
Connected with velvet ropes
or chains
or nothing at all
depending on the day

Keep your eyes on the ground
and don’t look too far
because then you’d see
where they lead
you might notice
that one is missing

and you would be disappointed

There were occasional breaks
but everyone seemed to follow
the person ahead of them
because it would be
weird
to acknowledge
something wasn’t there

If you walked straight through
you’d be tsked.
by people who were mad
that they hadn’t
thought of that first