A lone banana skin, abandoned and separated from its body. It cries the lonely cry only the dead can croak. This peel is the only proof that someone sat here on this bench. Proof that someone exists out there who sat down and decided to have a piece of fruit. Who sat here, inches from my own seat? A banana is easily accessible, its consumption unassuming. What purpose did the fruit serve? Breakfast? A mid-morning snack? The firm flesh of the banana was ingested, the floppy skin discarded. It deserves better. When did the banana expire? Judging from the deterioration of the peel, I would give it between two and four hours ago. Then again, the sun is shining, and the day is warm. Where did this person go after they ate it? There are record stores, book stores, office buildings, subway stations. Why did they eat it? The banana is portable, sweet, filling, a fruit of convenience and economy. How was it eaten? With care, as it has no residual flesh. All these questions…and no answers. Only guesses. But sometimes a hunch is all we need.Just a bit of silliness, a writing exercise.