Hello Again

hello again
another dark dreary morning
in this house with blindfolded windows
with flowers that cry for water and light
bags of trash piled on the porch
now home to desperate raccoons
an old bicycle rusts in the yard
as highway traffic rushes by

weeds and brush have grown
through the gray chain-link fence
yellow sunflowers and goldenrod
counter the purple-fruited mulberries
and surround the backyard shed
that leans 30 degrees to the east
with roofing blown away and rotted floor
that now only stores nuts for squirrels

a huge sweetgum tree threatens the house
like a giant preparing to smash in the roof
Virginia creeper grows over windows
and up the side of the house
lawn chairs and shade umbrellas
have been folded away for years
paint has peeled from a basketball goal
it's plywood layers continue to separate

dad would raise holy hell if he could see
how neglected the yard is these days
after he retired he'd go to no end
to keep this yard perfect and pristine
he passed away face down in the driveway
I inherited the house but my weak heart
and a general lack of funds prevents me
from keeping his standards of lawn care

This yard is a great source of guilt
I can barely keep the grass mowed
let alone cut brush out of the fence
around the house shed and garage
I'd sell but I have no place for my stuff
I'm tempted to give it away to charity
I could torch it and collect insurance
but I prefer this prison over the other

40 Lines

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Most Recent Poetry  (E) Poetry most recently written. #2035077 by Vanishing Vapor

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Journal of a Spaced-Out Brain -poetry-  (E) You are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. James 4:14 #2207307 by Vanishing Vapor