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25 Superstitious฀Manna Face฀down,฀a฀good฀luck฀penny฀becomes฀the฀bad no฀one฀will฀touch.฀On฀the฀cakewalk฀sidewalk, copper฀beacon฀of฀promise฀gone฀wrong, its฀glint฀begs฀“Pick฀me฀up,”฀a฀hint฀of฀mischief in฀the฀way฀light฀puddles฀against฀its฀thin฀brim, nearly฀spilling฀but฀not.฀Folks฀sidestep฀around, as฀they฀would฀any฀black฀cat฀breaking฀a฀mirror on฀Friday฀the฀13th.฀For฀you฀it฀winks฀“I’m฀yours,” so฀sweetly฀you฀hear฀coins฀clink฀in฀the฀piggy฀bank whose฀nose฀you฀ballpeened฀off฀to฀buy an฀Easter฀kite฀April฀maples฀got฀the฀best฀of. Now฀Loss฀and฀Redemption,฀and฀not฀the฀Easter฀story’s, but฀your฀own฀kid’s฀kite฀caught฀and฀just฀set฀free at฀Main฀&฀University฀on฀a฀Monday฀noon halfway฀through฀your฀fifth฀decade—the฀circle of฀chance฀come฀home฀at฀last.฀Well,฀perhaps. Sappho,฀who฀knew฀a฀thing฀or฀two฀of฀breakage, warned฀don’t฀disturb฀the฀rubble.฀When฀you฀crank your฀bad฀back฀toward฀it,฀a฀world’s฀weight฀rests on฀you,฀Atlas฀of฀the฀middle-aged.฀What฀gift have฀you฀the฀sense฀to฀refuse?฀What฀kiss on฀cheek฀or฀lips?฀There’s฀shimmering฀Lincoln enthroned฀in฀the฀penny’s฀pint-sized฀memorial, dead฀for฀his฀cause.฀“Touch฀me,”฀he฀coos, though฀who฀would฀dare฀but฀you,฀the฀child whose฀mother฀smacked฀your฀hand,฀“Dirty,฀dirty.” ...

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