Decking

What I'm not seeing when the sun is not streaming through the patio door, what I'm refusing to imprint when I wake up and it's not there and I kick a cat bowl across the kitchen, the kitchen that is only grey tile and a step above the living quarters and I twist my back reaching over the counter for the radio switch and for what, World Service, service the world for Christ's sake, stop scaring me into a stupor, Quaker laughing at me from his perch on the oatmeal tube, daring me to fill a pan with water, boil it and start my food cycle over.

snow days were the worst days

younger me
never liked snow days
both parents went to work
left the kids with the old sitter
watching game shows
all day long
sitting on the stiff carpet
bums going numb
afraid to sit on the long brown couch
every man for himself
we learned when she took out her wooden spoon
after a poop that i didn't flush because i thought i wasn't supposed to
not knowing the mellow rule only applied to pee
the other boy was blamed
and got a whooping
as i watched
silent