What was once its head is now a smeared, dark yellow that stains the sidewalk. The fat lady in the sequins didn't even look down when her heel severed the stalk from its roots. When I saw that happening I wanted to say something, to jump up and yell at her to be more careful, but I didn't. Everyone hates them. Even I'm not particularly fond of them.
Parking meters are another story.
There's one in front of me, so it's also in front of the severed dandelion. I've been feeding it coins for about two hours now. A quarter every fifteen minutes. I don't know why I'm doing it. The parking meter is never full.