A Small Surprise

On my morning walk, which is Adjacent to the river, A small surprise is sometimes what The city does deliver. So yesterday, I heard a thump, Metallic, so I slowed, Expecting that a hubcap flew From somewhere on the road. Instead, I saw a sewer cover Quaking as it rose And crashed back down above a spot Where the East River flows. Thought number 1: a creature Would be rising from the deep And then his scaly self into My neighborhood would creep. Thought number 2: a prisoner (Like “Shawshank”) would break free Because from Rikers Island There’s a chance that it could be. Thought number 3: the river (high) Would suddenly erupt And shoot that cover skyward In a manner most abrupt. In any case, I hurried on Without a backward glance, Not willing, having had those thoughts, To take the slightest chance.