Neighborhoods

Careful, Justin Bieber

February 6, 2014

I’m surrounded by lots of nasty newspaper and magazine articles and insulting letters and want you to understand this deluge on my doorstep is the same or worse than cyber bullying. Not many understand. I’m nineteen and make fifty million a year and fans love me and I’m doing things most my age would do.…

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Trash Can

March 9, 2013

Old man eased across street to knock on iron security door and was ignored till stepped to bedroom window rapping to force another old man out. Did you pull trash can down street and fill with shingles and nails? Hell no. Then I wonder who. You see anyone? Just those guys on your roof.

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Kit Foxes in the Road

June 16, 2012

Four years little kit foxes, bearing the sharp angular look of underfed and downtrodden foxes, instantly scattered from the road as I reentered my neighborhood, interrupting asphalt gatherings that had followed their nocturnal dashes from dens to seek duck eggs, lizards, and insects. A few months ago the kit foxes began departing leisurely and, instead…

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Newspaper Alert

April 16, 2012

Harold was usually nervous at work and home, worrying he couldn’t survive ten more years arrogant supervisors, indifferent coworkers, and rude customers, so started naps after work and earlier bedtimes and weekends in bed sleeping away years thankful to miss.

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Late Night Howl

January 4, 2012

damn neighborhoods without streetlights make me get lost and run right over darting dogs can’t stop in dark since howls unsettling and owners might do something

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Deadbolt Rules

December 11, 2011

(This vertical prose was rewritten horizontally and posted September 22, 2012.) hell of hot day fishing in thin mountain air sun scorched harold and he drank too many beers didn’t matter he caught no fish he had to return to rat hole room at rear of house in bad area rusty deadbolt jammed and impatient…

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Trash Can

October 26, 2011

old man eased across street to knock on iron security door and was ignored till he stepped to bedroom window rapping it to force another old man out did you pull my trash can down to street and fill with shingles and nails hell no then i wonder who did you see anyone just those…

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Tear Down those Nice Houses

September 6, 2007

I wish I were a member of the growing juggernaut of elite achievers who can afford to buy beautiful houses in wonderful areas then raze the structures and build something much grander.  This whole process either bespeaks a society of great wealth, energy, and imagination or foretells doom on the scale of sybaritic Romans who…

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Noisy Neighbors

March 2, 2004

When United States invaded Panama years ago, General Manuel Noriega double-crossed soul and dashed into church aggressors disinclined to enter. They instead aimed speakers and fired at saber-wielding tough guy. He’d survived Panamanian politics, high-stakes drug deals, and treacherous operations in behalf of CIA but couldn’t withstand auditory and psychological force of musical bombardment and…

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