There is a man who Lives slantingly
with an uneven sky between
crooked Venetian blinds
Has a Yellow dog that
half yawns & half wags
walks sideways like a
sidewinder snake
Lampshades leaning
gaping open
on one side
blanched light exposing
dusty linen & dust bunnies
A china set from the 70s
of brown & yellow flowers
stacked sensibly
in crooked cabinets
Memories of many
women & children
who came & went there
are buried in the backyard
Along with the handprint
of my daughter
in the sidewalk
& the year 2011
spelled out with
sea shells
Clucking black chickens
lay eggs in the overgrown garden
hasn't been tilled in years
wiry weeds growing between
the dilapidated fence
The lanai still has his
toilet bowl planter
& dingy wooden windchimes
keepsakes from
three relationships ago
spanning thirteen years
One day he'll move away
from the crooked lane
or die there with his
crumbling knick knacks
& unraveling wicker chair
propped up on one side
with a cement block
