Pedestrians in Berkeley raise my levels of cortisol,
By jumping out in the street without looking at all.
I fight the urge to honk, gesture and curse,
But I just can’t imagine anything worse
Than crossing without looking both left and right
At all times of day and especially night.
I slam on my brakes and try to slow down.
I curse quietly at the people and town.
I hold my breath and count to ten,
Until my stress level goes down again
I appreciate their smarts and the size of their brains,
But when crossing the street, they drive me insane.
