Reflections of a Fence

On one side

There were barbecues

The other side

Had none

On one side

An unhappy family

On the other

A very loud

Unhappy family

Families, families

Who can recommend them?

Grass that isn’t cut

Discarded toys

A torn lining

On an above-ground pool

Worms in the dirt

Bathing suits in the trees

A child with a cut on his knee

Crying out for someone

Who never comes

Watching a child realize

That nobody is coming to help

Might be the toughest thing

To reflect upon

Beer, then bourbon

Then beer again

A firepit

A rock garden

A name written in sand

Right before the sandbox gets taken apart

Two kids running

Then four

Then two again

Then none

An automatic sprinkler

On a rainy day

Two straight weeks of sun

Then snow

A man yelling into a mobile phone

A woman yelling up to a window

On the second floor of a house

A little boy waiting for someone to come

And nobody comes

And nobody comes

And nobody shows up or arrives or enters

Or helps

Black clouds over a birthday party

Sunset over people dressed in black

A clown with a black nose

Instead of a red one

Making black balloon animals

For two kids

Then none

A bouncy house

A burger plate

A bug getting smashed

By the bottom

Of a shot glass

Sunset over people

Dressed in black

Why are they dressed in black?

Did somebody--?

Two kids then none

And nobody coming

To help

A woman yelling up to a window

Or up to nothing?

Or up to god?

Or up to something?

To nothing?

Sandbox gone

Rock garden untended

Sneakers left

In the far corner

Of the yard on the right

And a barbecue

Cheeseburgers

And cold beers

On the other side

Bourbon

And ice cubes rattling

In a decorative shot glass

From a trip

To Philadelphia

Cicadas somewhere

But not in either yard

But not far either

A dog wants to go out

But nobody lets her

Eventually somebody

Opens the patio door

But the dog just stands there

Not sure what to do

Someone trying not

To make a sound

Three balloons

Slowly letting out

Their air

Two kids running

One kid waiting

People dressed in black

Worms in the dirt

Beer then bourbon

Write your name in sand

And the sand will blow away

Carve your name into a tree

And you’ll watch your name grow

Into other people

Bathing suits dry

On high, high limbs

That nobody can reach

And nobody tries to

A child waits

And waits

And waits

Two unhappy families

Maybe more

Maybe more

And on one side

There’s a barbecue

But only

On one side