Neighbourhood Summer

The rain has washed away the dirt and grime that the city in the summer had become. Greasy slime in the gutters smelling like vinegar, rotting vegetables and shit; rubbish bins dusty, with drips running down from the openings; bus stops with build ups of ash and collected dirt; gobs of spit; stains sticky or greasy.

The pavements seem cleaner now the rain has gone. Returned to their pale grey speckled (trodden down chewing gum spots) state. Even the detritus left by the rain and the wind has been cleared - all those seed balls that fall off plain trees and little bits of twigs lying like tidal marks on the pavement after the rainwater eventually drains away.

Its dirty in the neighbourhoods.