Condoms

On the pavement 

2 loose condoms 

Unused but at the end of their life 

awaiting reincarnation as micro plastics 

Temporarily resting before their metamorphosis

Back to the wind 

They speak of lost love 

Or maybe whispers of new life 

The mystery of their history 

Defies logic

Perhaps a formative memory 

For a youth in the prime of discovery 

The age of exploration 

Sneaking a quick fingery study 

Away from judging eyes 

Unwrapping this supposed thing of joy 

Only to discover a long wet balloon 

Maybe they dutifully served as tools of jest 

Between 2 adult boys

Seeking to embarrass one another 

With public reference 

Of the hidden world they pretend to be so confident within 

Each spec of detritus 

No more or less beautiful than the next 

But these two 

Have something special going for them 

The way their once glistening latex 

Slowly fading

Like the strands of a leaf 

Deteriorated by sun and moisture 

Until one day only a skeleton remains 

Ribbed for her pleasure  

Meant for a bone

Instead reduced to bones