The paper crinkled between my fingers.

The lost valuable trash that had fluttered up at me

flapped in the crisp, biting breeze.

The dull, familiar color of green is what I recognized first.

Then the well-known monument jumped up at me,

begging to be recognized.

I looked left, right, left before cautiously folding the parchment

that would buy me my first meal in—

How long had it been? Too long, I decided.

A smile, the first in a while, stretched my face

into an unfamiliar expression,

as an unfamiliar emotion coursed through me.

My stomach growled in expectation

as I ran a hand through my long-ago washed hair.

“I guess stars can be changed,” I muttered,

patting my pocket, now worth more than I was worth myself.